London, Thanasis Gavos

Plans for King Charles and his wife Camilla’s planned visit to France on Sunday are said to be under constant review due to ongoing protests and incidents against President Macron’s new pension law.

This is the first official trip abroad for the 74-year-old British monarch, who very soon after taking office expressed the desire to make the first official visit to France.

According to British reports, there are fears of disruption and a possible change in the royal couple’s schedule, as French labor unions have called for further major protests on Sunday when Charles arrives in Paris.

The big state dinner at the Palace of Versailles that Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to give to dignitaries may be moved to another location or even cancelled, according to French reports.

It is also thought very likely that there will be changes to the plans to limit the king’s exposure to the world and contact with him, as well as his movements in Paris to avoid the embarrassment of piles of rubbish left uncollected due to strikes.

As part of the visit, which will end on March 29, the royal couple is also going to visit Bordeaux for contacts with the British community there. And there are concerns about that visit after protesters set fire to the entrance to the city’s town hall on Thursday.

The CGT union has said that its members in the government departments that cover the official protocol will not work on the preparation of the reception of Charles, that is, they will not take care of the red carpets, the official flags and the rest of the procedural work.

The Elysee, however, has assured that everything will be ready for this historic first official trip of the new British monarch abroad and the Home Office has said that there is no security issue for the king.