The Late Queen Elizabeth II's Moving and Funny Speech on Anglo-French Relations (1996)

April 8, 2024 | On 14 May 1996, Queen Elizabeth II hosted a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in honour of visiting French President Jacques Chirac. With Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on her left and Chirac on her right, the Queen made a speech in which she reflected on the history of Anglo-French relations. noting that over the centuries they had been "occasionally less than friendly", but drawing attention to the century of cooperation between the two nations since the signing of the Entente Cordiale in 1904.