Par Margot Delpech
Published on
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The king Charles III will not be able to stroll with Queen Consort Camilla at Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Tuesday March 28, 2023. Nor will he come to the forest destroyed by the fire of Landiras and Guillos, south of the Gironde. Faced with the social situation of the country, and a new strike planned, the official visit of the King of England to France has been postponed until this summer.
“The Elysée and Buckingham reassured us, it’s only a postponement”
After a day in Paris, the royal couple was to arrive by train at the Saint-Jean station in Bordeaux to meet the mayor, Pierre Hurmic. The visit should have been punctuated by a single walkabout, in the heart of Bordeaux.
His Majesty the King was then to stop at the Smith Haut Lafitte wine chateau in Martillac. The roads had been scouted for a few weeks. The program had been secret for months. At the Cathiard family, owner of the castle, everything was ready. “The property, the castle are magnificent. We are a little disappointed, but the Elysée and Buckingham reassured us, it is only a postponement. The visit should take place at the beginning of the summer”, hopes Florence Cathiardowner of the prestigious site.
Fan of King Charles III, the Cathiard family had prepared some surprises for the arrival of the royal couple. Among them, a special vintage “which, we hope, will bring back memories to the king,” she continues.
Another question: why did the royal family choose to visit this property nestled in the greater Pessac-Léognan? Maybe a recommendation… The owner Florence Cathiard details:
Charles III is very sensitive to ecology, to the environment, like us. In the 90s, we went from a chemical property to a biological one. At the time, it was very complicated to make him understand.
A meeting between Charles III and Florence Cathiard, 20 years ago
Perhaps also the symbol of a close relationship between Bordeaux and London“a history of more than three centuries”, continues the manager of the noble cru.
Twenty years ago, Florence Cathiard had exchanged with the one who, at the time, was Prince of Wales. During a game of polo, the owner of Smith Haut Lafitte had discussed with the future king Charles III. “I served my wine, and we discussed ecologyshe says, biodiversity in the vineyards. For him, organic is very important. But I don’t know if Charles remembers that moment. »
A gift made in Landiras for a visit in July
Party therefore postponed, in the same way as the visit planned in the afternoon around the municipalities of Guillos and Landiras. The mayors, Jean-Marc Pelletant and Mylène Doreau, had not had much information.
But until the last moment, they were preparing to welcome the king to the heart of the scorched lands. “We had prepared a present for him. A dozen bottles of organic Landiras wines. We know that he pays attention to the way the wines are made,” emphasizes Jean-Marc Pelletant, the mayor of Landiras.
For the city councilor, no disappointment. The king should come in July between Landiras and Guillos, at the beginning of summer. “We were ready, but we had no information on the times, the place… Nothing. We just knew that we had to be present that day, summarizes the mayor. When we saw the context, the door of the town hall set on fire in Bordeaux, it was certain that the Elysée was going to cancel. We suspected it. »
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