King Charles honours Prince William in key speech, leaving Harry in past

King Charles gave a special nod to his son, Prince William, in his keynote speech during a glitzy State Banquet hosted for French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron.

On July 8, the monarch, Queen Camilla, and the senior royals, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne, Duchess Sophie, and Prince Edward, welcomed the foreign guests at Windsor Castle.

Apart from making significant points related to shared history between the UK and France and calling for unity, King Charles mentioned his son William in his address amid reports that the doors of the Palace are closed on Prince Harry.

The monarch said, "I recall with such fond memories our Visit to France in 2023, when you so graciously hosted us, Monsieur le Président. Much has happened in the meantime, and France and the United Kingdom have stood ever closer since then."

"At this crucial point in our shared histories, your visit is another occasion to celebrate our deep and enduring friendship."

The King shared a brief history of Windsor Castle, where the future King and Queen, William and Catherine, reside with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

He said, "The Castle in which we meet this evening was begun by my ancestor – and your sometime countryman – William, Duke of Normandy, in the year 1070."

"It remains the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. So it is perhaps rather appropriate that my son, The Prince of Wales, who shares that earlier William’s name, has made Windsor his home with his family, like so many of our predecessors."