French president welcomes Spanish king in Paris

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - French President Emmanuel Macron and first lady Brigitte Macron on Tuesday welcomed Spain’s King Felipe VI to the Elysee Palace for a high-profile lunch meeting.

The royal visit took place in Paris, signaling renewed momentum for unity among key EU powers at a time of rising geopolitical pressure as it highlighted the growing French-Spanish alliance on European security, economic cooperation, and regional stability.

After the welcoming ceremony, the two met over lunch and then visited Versailles to see the exhibition, "The Grand Dauphin – Son of a King, Father of a King, and Never King" dedicated to the grand dauphin (1661-1711), the son of France’s Louis XIV – the Sun king – and father of Spanish King Philip V, the Elysee Palace said in a statement.

The last visit by a Spanish monarch to Versailles was 120 years ago, when Felipe's great-grandfather, King Alfonso XIII, visited the palace with President Emile Loubet.