From Queen Victoria to Queen Elizabeth II: When British monarchs visited France

Paris: It's a well-known fact: France, which beheaded its own king and queen, has a long-running love affair with the British royal family that has endured ups-and-downs in the cross-Channel relationship.From Queen Victoria to Queen Elizabeth II, visiting British monarchs have received a warm welcome in Paris over the past 170 years.AFP looks back at some milestone moments:Victoria: Queen of VersaillesIn August 1855, Queen Victoria makes her first state visit to Paris, the first by a British monarch in 400 years.After spending centuries at war Britain and France are now fighting together against the Russian Empire in Crimea.In a landmark moment, Victoria visits Napoleon I's tomb at the Invalides war museum in Paris."I stood on the arm of Napoleon IIIrd, before the coffin of his uncle, our bitterest foe! I, the granddaughter of that King, who hated Napoleon most," she wrote in her journal.The grand finale is a sumptuous supper and a ball for 1,200 guests thrown by the emperor at the Palace of Versailles.Edward VII: Entente CordialeTwo years after Queen Victoria's death her son Edward VII visits France in the spring of 1903, amid renewed tensions over the two European powers' colonial rivalry.President Emile Loubet welcomes him with great pomp, but he has to work hard to win over an initially hostile French public.On 8 April, 1904, his efforts bear fruit in the form of the Entente Cordiale, a landmark treaty settling Britain and France's colonial disputes.George V: WWI storm cloudsEurope is on the brink of World War I when King George V and Queen Mary visit Paris in April 1914.As the royal motorcade passes, Parisians line the avenues paved with the colours of the Union Jack flag.[caption id="attachment_12343452" align="alignnone" width="640"]

King George V with his family at the Royal House of Windsor. File image/Wikimedia Commons[/caption]During a state dinner at the Elysee presidential palace, President Raymond Poincare hails the Franco-British Entente as "one of the soundest guarantees of European equilibrium".George VI: 'Long live the king!'In July 1938, Europe is again on the threshold of war when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth sweep into Paris to cries of "Long live the king!"George VI ascended to the throne after his elder brother, King Edward VIII, abdicated in order to marry a twice divorced American, Wallis Warfield Simpson.His visit comes at a time of growing alarm in Paris and London at Nazi Germany's war preparations.For the traditional banquet at the Elysee Palace, Queen Elizabeth wears the "Koh I Noor", the biggest diamond in the world.Elizabeth II: Queen of French heartsOver her record seven-decade reign, Queen Elizabeth II paid five state visits to France, winning hearts with her command of the language, dry wit and what she calls her "great affection for the French".Her first official visit as a newly-married 21-year-old princess in 1948 causes a sensation, with crowds lining the street to try to catch a glimpse of her and husband Prince Philip.Her star power is still in evidence when she makes her first state visit to France as queen in 1957.President Rene Coty pulls out all the stops, putting on a banquet at the Louvre museum and sprucing up the banks of the Seine for Elizabeth's river cruise.As the years pass, her visits take on a more overtly diplomatic flavour, marking the UK’s entry into the European Economic Community in 1972, the centenary of the Entente Cordiale in 2004 and the 70th anniversary of the World War II D-Day landings in 2004.Conveying his sympathy to the British people on her death last year, President Emmanuel Macron said: "To you, she was your Queen. To us, she was The Queen."Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.