French State Visit to Britain, 1939

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth hosted the French President and Madame Lebrun on their State Visit to Britain on this day in 1939, 85 years ago, reaffirming the Entente Cordiale months before the outbreak of the Second World War and after the King and Queen’s landmark 1938 State Visit to France.

President and Madame Lebrun were received by King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and members of the Royal Family at Victoria Station in London before a carriage procession back to Buckingham Palace, where they did appear on the Balcony, but there are unfortunately no images of that evening’s State Banquet.

On the second evening of the State Visit, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (wearing Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet Tiara) joined President and Madame Lebrun (in the Cartier Flower Tiara) for a Gala Performance at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.

Queen Mary (wearing the Delhi Durbar Tiara), the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (in the Teck Turquoise Tiara), Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood (wearing the Harewood Scroll Tiara), the Earl and Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (in her Diamond Palmette Tiara)

The Duke and Duchess of Kent (wearing the Kent City of London Fringe Tiara)

Lady Patricia Ramsay (wearing her Diamond Tiara), Princess Helena Victoria (wearing her Honeysuckle Tiara), Princess Marie Louise (in the Cartier India Tiara), and the Marquess and Marchioness of Carisbrooke (wearing the Queen Victoria’s Strawberry Leaf Tiara)

There were a series of Aristocrats in attendance, led by the Duchess of Northumberland (in the Northumberland Strawberry Leaf Tiara) and the Countess of Airlie (wearing the Airlie Tiara), along with the Duchess of Rutland (in the Rutland Tiara), Marchioness of Bath (wearing the Bath Tiara), and Countess Beauchamp (wearing the Beauchamp Pearl and Diamond Tiara).

The following day, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth received President and Madame Lebrun at Windsor Castle.

In the evening, there was a spectacular Banquet hosted by the Foreign Office at which the King and Queen (in Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara) joined President and Madame Lebrun alongside members of the Real Family: Queen Mary (wearing the Vladimir Tiara), the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (in the Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara), the Duke and Duchess of Kent (wearing her Pearl Bandeau Tiara), Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood (in the  Harewood Fringe Tiara and her Emerald Necklace), the Earl and Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (in her Diamond Palmette Tiara), Princess Helena Victoria (wearing her Honeysuckle Tiara), Princess Marie Louise (in the Cartier India Tiara), and the Duchess of Beaufort (wearing her Pearl and Diamond Bandeau).

The next morning, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and members of the Royal Family bid farewell to President and Madame Lebrun at Victoria Station in London.

Crown