French and British troops swapped roles to take part in the changing of the guard ceremonies outside the palaces of each other's heads of state. It was an unprecedented move to mark the 120th anniversary of the Entente.
Signed in 1904, the Entente Cordiale agreement cemented improved relations after the Napoleonic Wars and is considered the foundation of the alliance of the two NATO member states to this day, AFP reported.
"Even after Brexit and with the return of war in Europe, this entente cordiale is in some ways the cornerstone that allows us to maintain bilateral relations," French President Emmanuel Macron said in a video posted on X.
"Long live the entente cordiale and long live the Franco-British friendship," Macron added.
Macron and British Ambassador to France Mena Rawlings watched British Guardsmen take part in the changing of the guard outside his Elysee Palace.
French Guardsmen then did the same in London outside Buckingham Palace, the official residence of King Charles III. / BGNES
