French Protests Disrupt King Charles III's State Visit

King Charles III's first overseas trip as monarch to France is being impacted by unrest and protests over President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform plans. Striking workers have refused to provide red carpets for the British king's visit, and critics are calling for the trip to be canceled altogether. The visit was meant to underscore efforts to rebuild Anglo-French ties, but is now being seen as an unnecessary display of hereditary privilege. Charles' visit includes a wreath-laying ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe and a lavish dinner at the former royal residence, the Versailles Palace, which is a potent symbol of social inequalities and excess.