The new monarch, who has entered a seven-day period of royal mourning, is said to have chosen the country as his first surprise destination after linking up with Emmanuel Macron over environmental issues.
Instead of visiting one of the Commonwealth realms on his first trip abroad, Charles is increasingly expected to head to Paris next month on a tour that could also include Germany.
The Foreign Office, which makes the final decision on royal visits, is said to be keen to use the monarchy’s diplomatic power to mend relations with its major European neighbors after Brexit.
Charles III and the Queen Consort arrived at Aberdeen Airport yesterday on their way to Balmoral
King Charles III is said to have bonded with President Macron over their shared interest in the environment (seen at a gathering of world leaders on Sunday)
The King and Queen consort arrived in Scotland yesterday for a short break to mourn the loss of the late Queen.
However, sources close to the monarch said he was “thrilled” by the outpouring of public support in recent days, although he is still grieving and feeling tired after two grueling weeks filled with official engagements.
“Balmoral is a place where the royal can see his family and read his red government boxes at the same time,” a source told The Sun.
“It’s a place where he can recover and get on with government business. That’s exactly what the Queen Consort said she liked Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to do when she paid her respects.”
As well as creating a useful opportunity to strengthen ties with a top European power, a trip to France could also help draw attention to a major African tree-planting program supported by both Charles and Mr Macron, it said. The Telegraph.
While the King cannot express his opinion on political matters, Mr Macron could plan the visit to include an exhibition on the Chinese Green Wall project.
The ambitious initiative aims to plant a 30-mile-wide belt of trees across the African continent to slow the spread of the Sahara and fight climate change.
King Charles and Mr Macron are said to share a “warm friendship” and last year shared a platform at Cop26 in Glasgow to encourage what the king called a “precious opportunity” to help save the planet.
The French president was widely praised for his moving tribute to the Queen in English, who praised her “wisdom and empathy”, adding: “to you she was your Queen. For us she was the queen.”
He also confirmed that he had invited the King to pay a state visit to France, saying: “I have had the opportunity to invite King Charles to come to France when it suits him.”
Sources close to the king say he is still grieving and feeling tired after a grueling two weeks filled with official engagements
Any trip to France would be followed by a long trip to a Commonwealth realm, as previously reported – with the king needing to make up for lost time after Queen Elizabeth II was unable to travel for seven years due to ill health.
Visiting Germany after France would make sense given its status as a major European power. It was one of the last countries visited by the late Queen and Prince Philip. They went in June 2015 with David Cameron, who was Prime Minister at the time.
Although no plans have been made to travel abroad, Charles is expected to go to Australia and New Zealand early next year. He went to Canada in May but has not been to Australia since 2018.
Yesterday, the King, 73, and Camilla, 75, left Windsor Castle, where they stayed overnight on Monday after an emotional private burial, and touched down at RAF Northolt in north-west London just before 10.30am.
Police foreigners removed their helmets and bowed as he boarded with his wife, with the plane arriving in Aberdeen at midday. Although the ten days of national mourning have now ended, the royal family continues to observe its own extended period of mourning until next Monday evening.
All their public engagements have been canceled and flags at the royal residences will be flown at half-mast until 8am on Tuesday.
A source told Balmoral (pictured): “It’s a place where the King can see his family and at the same time read his red government boxes.”
The King and Camilla will spend at least the next week – and possibly beyond – at Birkhall, the Queen Mother’s former Royal Deeside home, whose estate is next to Balmoral.
It was part of a long-running plan known as Operation Spring Tide. He will of course continue to deal with necessary state affairs in the coming days, but away from the public eye.
However, behind the scenes, work has begun for a still very “engaged, energetic and enthusiastic” Charles to pick up his relentless work schedule once his mourning period is over.
It is expected that he will continue to support the many charities for which he has raised millions over the years, but in a different way.
“He’s incredibly aware of the extra focus that comes with being the King and that things can’t go on exactly as they were before,” a source said.
His private office is already scrapping many of his plans, with a visit to flooded Pakistan next month one of the first commitments to go ahead.
But staff are also understood to be working out how to juggle other existing commitments with the weight of their new duties.
It’s something no one felt able to do while the late Queen was still alive and Operation London Bridge, the Queen’s funeral plans and Operation Spring Tide were still in full flow.
A source said: “The King is incredibly thoughtful and passionate. The things he cares deeply about are still relevant, not rendered irrelevant because he is King. The difference is that he will no longer be intrusive.
“His hope is that he will be able to support and encourage and convene.
“Staff will focus carefully on how to strike the right balance.”
Macron and his wife, Brigitte, arrive at the rally at Buckingham Palace on Sunday
Charles is understood to have been “touched and encouraged” by the public reaction in recent days, especially considering some of the challenges he has faced over the years.
“Anyone who has worked with him knows that rest and relaxation is not high on his list of priorities,” said a former senior royal aide.
“It will take all the guile of his team and the Queen Consort to convince him that he doesn’t have to take on everything at once.”
While the King will be based at Buckingham Palace, sources said no one should expect to “see the removal trucks outside Clarence House just yet”.
The court remains in mourning and Clarence House, which has been the home of Charles and Camilla for many years, is the place where they feel most comfortable in London.
But in the long term he has made it clear that Buckingham Palace will be their permanent home.
News of his possible trip to France comes as the new prime minister held conciliatory talks with Mr Macron yesterday after previously questioning whether he was “friend or foe”.
Liz Truss avoided difficult issues such as the Channel migrant crisis and the Northern Ireland Protocol as she sought to smooth relations with the French President.
Downing Street said the two leaders had a “constructive” half-hour meeting in New York, where they are both attending the UN General Assembly.
Discussions are said to have focused on energy security and the need for a unified response in Ukraine.
News of his possible trip to France comes as Liz Truss held conciliatory talks with Macron yesterday after previously questioning whether he was “friend or foe”.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, a Whitehall source admitted the Prime Minister may have to bury the hatchet with the French President after jokingly questioning whether he was “friend or foe” during the Tory leadership contest.
The source said: “He obviously didn’t like that comment, but he’s a politician – he understands that things are said during a campaign. At the end of the day we have a very strong relationship with France – that will be fine.”
Speaking afterwards, Mr Macron appeared happy to put the matter behind him, saying: “Now I believe in proof, in results.
“There is a will to re-engage, to move forward and to show that we are allies and friends in a complex world.”
Miss Truss’s spokesman confirmed they did not discuss the post-Brexit deal for Northern Ireland or migrant crossings, which have not abated.
He said the government intended to resolve protocol issues with the EU, adding: “This is not an issue that we necessarily think can be resolved through a single EU country.”
