Royal fascination: Exploring France’s attachment to ‘ze’ queen
16 September 2022 |
12:29 pm
For a country that so famously chopped off the head of its own king, many people in France are enchanted by the British monarchy. This fascination was particularly visible when Queen Elizabeth II passed away last week. On top of the official expression of condolences by French President Emmanuel Macron, many ordinary French people were upset by the passing of the monarch. For many, the queen was a symbol of Franco-British friendship and the Entente cordiale.
Related
1 May
With less than two weeks to go before King Charles III's coronation on May 6, our international affairs editor and royal watcher Philip Turle answers four frequently asked questions about Britain's royal family.
2 May
Finance Minster Bruno Le Maire said his government's determination to consolidate public finances was "total." The major public protests against a pension reform made credit ratings agency Fitch more skeptical.
7 May
The council turned down yet again an opposition proposal to cap the age of retirement at 62. Opponents of Macron's pension reform are now mobilizing for June 6 protests and strikes.
5 May
For more than 75 years, the "Maîtrise de Radio France" choir has been training schoolchildren to become classical singers. Andrélia is one of them. She has undergone demanding training, with music theory, piano and singing lessons. With the other choir members, the teenager is preparing a special concert alongside the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra. Based in Paris, the choir now has a branch in Bondy, in the north-eastern suburbs of the French capital.
8 May
Faced with the climate crisis, more and more young people are denouncing government inaction. This movement has now reached France's top universities, where students and graduates alike are denouncing an education system that does not take environmental issues into account. Some recent graduates – from Sciences Po university, business school HEC and engineering school École Polytechnique – have decided to take action, from making radical career changes to shaking up courses at their alma maters. FRANCE 24's team went to meet them.
9 May
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has given the Benin Bronzes restituted by Germany to Oba Ewuare II, the head of Benin's former royal family. Germany stands by the decision to restitute the sculptures.
14 May
The trial has opened of a suspect in the Rwandan genocide who fled to France. Former military policeman Philippe Hategekimana allegedly set up roadblocks to identify ethnic Tutsis, who would be murdered.
14 May
In the heart of the Touraine countryside, in France's Loire Valley, old mechanical wind turbines are being dismantled from their masts to be restored.
11 May
A new French bill aims to make the internet safer for users, by fighting harassment and various online scams, as well as trying to protect children from pornography.
11 May
For the fourth consecutive year, France was the European country that received the most foreign investment last year, according to a survey by consultancy firm EY. Looking at the details though, these investments are leading to fewer job creations than in the UK or Germany. We speak to Pascal Cagni, the chairman of Business France, which is the government agency tasked with promoting inward investment in the country.
20 May
Coucouron has been receiving its drinking water by road. The surrounding region was previously not thought to be at risk of drought. The French government has announced a national plan to use water more efficiently.
17 May
May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. This Wednesday also marks exactly 10 years since gay marriage became legal in France. Since then, around 7,000 such marriages have taken place each year in the country.
Latest
27 mins ago
The number of wild mountain gorillas, who are at risk from humans, is increasing for the first time in years. This is thanks to the efforts of conservationists like Uganda's first-ever wildlife veterinarian, Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, who says they are truly gentle giants. There are just over a thousand mountain gorillas left, mostly high in the mountains in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kalema-Zikusoka has also written a book, "Walking with Gorillas", charting her life from young enthusiast to wildlife campaigner.
27 mins ago
Brazilian nurses make more money working in Germany, but are afforded less responsibility and recognition than at home. Three women spoke with DW about their experiences.
1 hour ago
Critics of Laos' repressive one-party state, both in the country and in exile in Thailand, have been targeted in a recent series of arrests and attacks.
1 hour ago
Civilians living downstream of the dam have been urged to evacuate in the face of catastrophic flooding.
2 hours ago
Hackers took over the broadcasts of several TV and radio stations in the regions bordering Ukraine. The Kremlin said authorities have regained control of the airwaves.
