The crown, which unites in diversity, seems to allow the British to find themselves and to commune around the timeless values of their nation. “If the British royal family is so popular in France, it is because it embodies the symbolic power capable of bringing together an entire people and of which we feel orphaned. “How many events in our country are still capable of bringing crowds together, across political divides, religious beliefs or social affiliations? Apart from the football World Cup, when France wins, moments of national communion are rare and, even on July 14th the principle of unity does not always prevail. He said: “How can we explain this French infatuation with everything related to the British monarchy Nostalgia of the sans-culottes for the monarchic splendor? Curiosity for this unchanging institution which is not afraid to conjugate secular rites in the present? Or a formidable symbolic force that gives hope to an entire people, who believe themselves invincible as long as the queen (or king) watches over them? TV presenter Stéphane Bern, himself an ardent royalist, wrote a special essay in April 2022, to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. One of his predecessors, François Mitterand, also remarked on this difficulty, reportedly saying in 1984: “I must be both Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth.”Īlthough the monarchy is far from an uncontroversial subject in the UK, where a significant portion of the population believe that the royals should have no official role, in France they are seen as a force for unity. In 2021, 6 million people in France watched the funeral of Prince Phillip, 4 million watched the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and the royal weddings of princes William and Harry attracted 9 and 8 million French viewers respectively.Ĭharles de Gaulle once remarked: “The French have a taste for princes, but they will always look abroad”.įrench presidents, such as de Gaulle, are both the political leader of the country and the head of state, and have quite a few semi-monarchical trappings to the role, such as accommodation in the very grand Elysée Palace.Įmmanuel Macron, who began his presidency styling himself as an almost royal figure before being forced by public pressure to adopt a more down-to-earth governing style, called the French “a nation of regicidal monarchists” – yearning for a strong leader yet always keen to tear them down. On Friday, three of France’s daily newspapers made the royal death their front page story, with Le Parisien using the headline Nous l’avons tant aimée (we loved her so much), Le Figaro saying L’adieu à la reine (farewell to the queen) and Libération opting for La peine d’angleterre (England’s pain, but also a pun on La reine d’angleterre).īut this wasn’t a one-time event sparked by the death of such a long-reigning and much-loved figure, royal fever frequently strikes France, especially during royal weddings. Read more.French TV channels on Thursday afternoon showed rolling news updates from the UK, while TV historian Stéphane Bern presented a specially recorded tribute programme to the Queen. Limoges airport 72km, Brive 78km, Bordeaux 175km and Bergerac airport 82km. Tourist destinations such as Sarlat, Montignac and Lascaux are easily accessible. There is no shortage of activities nearby: golf in Essendieras (12 km), ballooning, kayaking, cycling and beautiful hiking trails. Périgueux, the capital of the Dordogne, is only 28 km away. The village of Thiviers is also 7 km away with several supermarkets and a large range of shops and businesses, several good restaurants, a railway station and an excellent market. Excideuil, 7 km away, is a lively village with all amenities - shops and superU, doctors, post office, pharmacy, restaurants and bars, schools, large swimming pool and a large weekly market. From the house there are many walks and cycle paths in the region, also near St Germain des Près. This house with separate apartment is located on the edge of Planitreix, a small village of 55 inhabitants, two km from St Germain des Près, a pretty town with a bakery. All solar-powered, so no problems with rising energy prices, fixed costs €42 per month!
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