King and Queen in France: Monarch tastes whisky made from Highgrove barley in final leg of tour
The King wrapped up his first state visit to France by sampling some organic Bordeaux reds and indulging in a nip of whiskey made from his own Highgrove barley.
On the home straight, the King, 74, enjoyed livener as he toured a chaotic festival at the Place de la Bourse.
Later, as the King and Queen toured a sustainable vineyard, they sampled a drop of red from 2005, the year of their wedding.
The couple began the third and final day of their visit with a short flight from Paris to Bordeaux after their plans to travel by train were scuppered by leaks in the French media, threatening their security.
The first stop was the Hôtel de Ville, to celebrate the historic ties between the UK and Bordeaux – which is home to almost 40,000 Britons – as well as the French city’s twinning with Bristol.
Locals waved French and Union flags and shouted “God Save The King” before the royals were ushered inside to view photographs of the King’s visit to the city in 1977, as well as Elizabeth II’s stop there in 1992.
Planting a loquat leaf oak tree outside, Charles giggled as Camilla poured on water, saying “very good”.
Then it was onto a reception on board HMS Iron Duke, which had berthed on the Garonne river especially for the occasion.
As they mingled with guests, the King nursed a glass of Pimms. He spoke confidently in French and was praised for the speech he gave at the senate in Paris on Thursday.
Out on the deck, the rain made way for sunshine and the King donned his sunglasses to watch two French Rafales roar into view, performing a “Le virage a l’Anglaise” – or English turn – as they flew at 800ft over the frigate and down the river.
The couple took an electric tram to the Place de la Bourse, having earlier been provided with their 1.80 euro tickets.
As Charles settled himself into his seat, he asked: “Which way are we going?”
On arrival at the festival, the King was persuaded to try some Cotswolds whisky, made with barley from Highgrove.
“He loved it,” said head of sales Hugues Roberts-Baby.
Spotting another whisky, His Majesty said: “I know Old Pulteney – that’s very good.”
A few minutes later, he also tried a glass of St Ferdinand Source Lussac-Saint Emilion and asked for some cheese to be wrapped up to take home.
As they left, the King and Queen were serenaded with a rousing hymn by members of the Fiji rugby team.
Charles moved on to the Experimental Forest, an environmental research project working to combat the effects of climate change, while his wife visited a local charity supporting those in need, swatting off a bee before heading inside for a tour.
The couple were reunited at the Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte organic vineyard, where they ended their tour in suitably celebratory fashion, sampling a 2005 red. “It’s very good,” said the monarch approvingly.
Their Majesties were due to fly back to Balmoral on Friday night.
04:31 PM BST
That's all for today
Thanks for following our live updates of the third day of the King and Queen’s state visit to France.
Scroll down below for the latest as it happened.
03:18 PM BST
King enjoys whisky and wine at festival
The King enjoyed a drink or two as he visited a chaotic festival where he arrived on an electric tram.
Charles was persuaded to have a nip of whisky - made from his own barley - as he toured stalls in Bordeaux’ main square.
Moments later he went into another tent where he was talked into trying some organically-made red wine.
He and the Queen arrived at the Place de la Bourse by electric tram after leaving a reception on board the frigate Iron Duke.
Before getting on the tram the King broke away to shake hands with members of the crowd, who have usually been kept well away from the royal visitors by French security. “We’re from Australia,” one woman told him. Another said: “We’re from Yorkshire!”
As he and Camilla boarded the tram - having been provided earlier with their 1.80 Euro tickets - the King sat down and said: “Which way are we going?”
As they set off on the brief journey - just a few hundred yards - the couple waved to onlookers outside.
03:04 PM BST
Prince of Wales spent weeks on ship during Navy attachment
Queen told guests that until this visit, she had not been to Bordeaux for a very long time.
She asked sub lieutenant Emma Maynard how long she had been on board. Told it was only five weeks, she said: “Oh, you’re the new girl.”
The couple then posed for a photograph at the back of the ship. As crowds gathered on the dock cheered, someone shouted “God save the King.”
The King donned sunglasses as the sun came out and the group waited for a flypast. Eventually - at 14.33 - two French Rafales roared into view, performing a “Le virage a l’Anglaise” - or English turn - as they flew at 800feet over the frigate and down the river.
Their Majesties then made their way off the ship as the National Anthem was played. The King helped his wife over the bumpy steps before they headed off to board the tram.
In 2008, Prince William spent several weeks on board HMS Iron Duke as part of his two-month attachment with the Royal Navy.
Then, the North Atlantic patrol ship was stationed in the West Indies, providing security for Britain’s overseas territories in the region.
The Prince’s duties involved watch-keeping and ship-driving, as well as contributing to the counter-drugs and disaster relief planning.
03:01 PM BST
King praised over Senate speech
Once on board, the King and Queen joined a drinks reception on the flight deck attended by an array of French officials, representatives of sports and higher education, the British and French armed forces, British military charities and various business interests.
The King accepted a glass of Pimms, which he clutched as he mingled with guests but did not appear to drink. On arrival he appeared to ask how long the ship had been in Bordeaux, apologising to one officer, saying: “We’ve dragged you out.”
The ship sailed from London and berthed on the Garonne river in Bordeaux on Tuesday. She is expected to return this weekend.
Charles spoke confidently in French to many of those gathered and was praised for the speech he gave at the senate in Paris on Thursday.
Sophie Medte said: “I was in the senate, it was a very political, strong speech from him about the climate and it was well received.”
Claudine Bichet, the first deputy mayor of Bordeaux who is in charge of climate energy, chatted to him for a while, saying afterwards: “I told him it was important to us for him to come here and we were very grateful. He said he’d seen the tram wand was looking forward to taking it later.”
03:01 PM BST
Pimms and pipes - what happened on the Navy frigate
The King and Queen were piped on board a Royal Navy frigate for a drinks reception followed by a flypast, Victoria Ward reports.
The couple arrived at HMS Duke 15 minutes early, at 13.50, and the National Anthem was played before the King, shielding from the rain under a black umbrella, inspected the front rank of the ship’s fifty-six strong ceremonial guard and four-person colour guard on the quayside.
A 35-person band of the Royal Marines, of which His Majesty recently became Captain General, also played.
As the King and Queen carefully made their way up the gangway, the ship’s side party “piped the side” and the Royal Standard was raised on board.
The couple were greeted by Général de Corps, Aérien Laurent Lherbette, Officier Général de la Zone de Défense et de Sécurité du Sud-Ouest, Général Laurent Lherbette, the ship’s Commanding Officer, Commander James Wallington-Smith, the defence attaché to the French Republic, Brigadier Alastair Veitch, and the Royal Navy Attaché to the French Republic, Captain Philip Wills.
Before the royals arrived, foreign secretary James Cleverly walked up the gangway with his wife, shortly behind the French Minister for the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu.
02:40 PM BST
Latest stop in the state visit
The King and Queen arrived in Bordeaux via plane and were greeted by the French minister of defence.
Camilla wore a turquoise Anna Valentine coat dress, earrings and the late Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond brooch.
It came after the couple spent two days in Paris, where Charles became the first British monarch to speak in the French senate chamber.
They also spent time with Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron, including a game of table tennis between Camilla and the French president’s wife, and a star-studded state banquet.
02:23 PM BST
Video: King and Queen leave Navy frigate
The King and Queen joined a reception on the flight deck of HMS Iron Duke, a Royal Navy Type 23 Frigate, to highlight the defence ties between France and the UK.
Here is a video taken by Victoria Ward when they left the frigate.
The National Anthem is played as the couple leave the frigate. Charles helps Camilla over the bumpy step- tricky to navigate #royalvisitfrance pic.twitter.com/95YYG2dTlz
— Victoria Ward (@victoria_ward) September 22, 2023
01:51 PM BST
Recap: 'You have the wine but we have the humour'
Read the Telegraph Royal Editor Victoria Ward’s report from Paris after the first day of the King’s state visit
It started with a blustery exit from the plane (that almost claimed the Queen’s hat) and ended in the more salubrious confines of the Palace of Versailles, in the exalted company of Mick Jagger and Hugh Grant.
Along the way, there was the obligatory tree planting, a remembrance ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe culminating in a spectacular flypast and an exchange of gifts at the Elysee Palace.
The King, 74, and Queen, 76, were “enormously touched” to be given a “magnificent welcome” as they arrived in Paris for their first state visit to France.
As His Majesty addressed guests gathered in the Hall of Mirrors for a lavish state banquet on Wednesday night, he said the visit - postponed from March - had been “worth the wait”.
Read more here.
01:39 PM BST
Latest pictures
01:36 PM BST
Applause for arrival
The King and Queen were cheered and applauded by crowds of people after arriving in south-west France.
Camilla was handed a bouquet of flowers after she and Charles greeted hundreds of well-wishers outside Bordeaux’s town hall on Friday afternoon.
Locals waved French and Union flags and shouted “God Save The King”.
Butcher Georges Britouille, 57, said: “This for us is historic, to have the King visit where we live is something to be remembered.”
They were shown photographs of the King’s visit to the city in 1977, as well as the late Queen Elizabeth’s stop there in 1992.
Bordeaux, famous for its wine, is home to around 39,000 Britons and is twinned with Bristol.
Charles and Camilla met the Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees and his Bordeaux counterpart Pierre Hurmic before being shown a memorandum of understanding- a document outlining an agreement- between the two cities.
They signed the town hall’s guest book, before going out to the garden to plant a Loquat Leaf Oak tree.
Charles giggled as Camilla poured water on the plant, saying “very good”.
12:45 PM BST
Pictured: King and Queen touch down
Pictures have emerged of the moment the King and Queen arrived in Bordeaux.
12:21 PM BST
Electric tram ride
Later, they will join a reception on the flight deck of HMS Iron Duke, a Royal Navy Type 23 Frigate, to highlight the defence ties between France and the UK.
A 35-person band of the Royal Marines, of which the King recently became Captain General, will play and the ship’s side party will ‘Pipe the Side’ as the royals step across the gangway.
Then, there will be a journey on an electric tram ahead of a festival-style event in the Place de la Bourse, the main square of Bordeaux, that promises to showcase the best of British and French business while emerging British and French artists perform.
The King will then visit an experimental forest to learn how it is recording the effects of climate change, the Queen will visit a charity and then both will reconvene at a sustainable vineyard.
12:20 PM BST
Order of the day
Their packed schedule of engagements has been designed to recognise the city’s longstanding association with the UK.
Bordeaux and Bristol have been twinned since 1947 - the first UK-France city twinning of its kind - and Bristol’s mayor, Marvin Rees, will be on hand to celebrate their ties.
Their Majesties will kick off the day at the Hôtel de Ville, one of the city’s most symbolic locations, where they will be welcomed by local mayor Pierre Hurmic.
Inside, they will view an exhibition of photos from the King’s visit to Bordeaux in 1977 as well as Elizabeth II’s during her state visit in 1992.
12:20 PM BST
Arriving in Bordeaux
The King and Queen have arrived in Bordeaux for the third and final day of their first state visit to France.
They touched down at Bordeaux-Merignac Airport five minutes early at 12.45pm local time.
After disembarking the aircraft, Charles and Camilla were greeted by French Minister of Defence, Monsieur Sébastien Lecornu.
The royal couple were led to a Renault Espace car, with Camilla sitting in the front with Charles and Mr Lecornu in the back.
They left in a convoy of at least 30 cars and 16 motorcycles en route to the the Hôtel de Ville.
12:19 PM BST
Welcome to the Telegraph's live blog
We will be providing live updates on the King’s visit to France as he arrives in Bordeaux on the third and final day.
Charles and Camilla spent two days in Paris before travelling south.
Follow the blog and the Telegraph website for the latest news and analysis.