King Charles Plants a Climate-Friendly Tree in Bordeaux

On Friday, King Charles III and Queen Camilla finished their three-day tour of France with a trip to Bordeaux, the hub of the famous French wine region, where the king took part in a time honored royal tour tradition: planting a tree. After arriving by plane, the pair took public transportation to the Bordeaux City Hall where they met with emergency workers who were affected by a forest fire in the region last year. But before the meeting, the king picked up a shovel to plant a loquat leaf oak tree, a species known for its resilience in the face of a changing climate.

Though last week’s tour gave the king a few different opportunities to talk about his passion for the environment, from a toast during a Wednesday state banquet at Versailles to his Thursday speech in front of the French senate, his day in Bordeaux was focused on the threats the region faces from climate change. After the trip to city hall, their majesties visited a local festival where local business owners with British origins showed off some of their products, and the king was able to try a whiskey made with barley from his Highgrove country estate.

Finally, the day ended with a trip to Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte winery, where in addition to a tasting session, they spoke with owners Florence and Daniel Cathiard about sustainable practices in the winemaking industry. According to the AP, severe drought in the region caused 2022’s harvest to be the earliest on record, and changing climate has pushed winemakers to change their water usage.

In his Thursday speech, Charles emphasized the importance of cooperation between France and the UK for addressing the war in Ukraine and the climate crisis. “Just as we stand together against military aggression, so must we strive together to protect the world from our most existential challenge of all: that of global warming, climate change and the catastrophic destruction of nature,” he said in French. “Together, our potential is limitless.”

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