King Charles has suffered a fresh "blow" after being forced to axe his first state visit as monarch to France, a royal expert has claimed.
It was confirmed this morning that Charles and Queen Camilla's trip to Paris and Bordeaux was being postponed amid widespread violent protests over French President Emmanuel Macron’s retirement age reforms.
The royal couple was due to begin their historic four-day trip on Sunday but, after a night of violent nationwide demonstrations that led to hundreds of arrests and police officers being injured, the trip was shelved.
The decision to rearrange the trip comes amid a turbulent few months for the King who has had to endure several egg-throwing incidents as well as the fallout from estranged son Prince Harry's controversial memoir Spare.
And according to royal historian and author Dr Tessa Dunlop, there was no other option but to shelve the state visit due to "terrible optics".
She told the Mirror: "With the upheaval showing no sign of stopping it was only a matter of time before Emmanuel Macron postponed King Charles' first state visit. The optics would have been terrible for both parties.
"Amid riots against his efforts to raise the pensionable age to 64, the last thing the French President needed was another security hazard, especially in the form of a 74-year-old working King from a country where the retirement age has already been raised to a hardcore 68 for future generations.
"As for Charles, after a turbulent first few months as monarch thanks to Prince Harry's verbal protests and a few frenzied egg throwers in Britain, he was not in the market for a French upgrade to tear gas, water cannon and cobblestones.
"But the trip's postponement is a blow for the new King."
Tessa believes France had been selected for the honour of being the first place to host Charles as King - mirroring his late mother the Queen's affinity with the country.
She added: "He chose France for good reasons. With a rich royal heritage, the French know how to celebrate monarchy in style. All they lack is a Royal Family and on occasion have proved more than happy to borrow ours.
"It is no coincidence that the late Queen's first overseas visit with Philip was to Paris in 1948 – three months pregnant with Charles, morning sickness did not prevent Princess Elizabeth from wowing the crowds with her beautiful French and handsome husband. The trip was seen as a fresh start for the neighbouring countries post-war.
"Likewise Charles had selected France for his first state visit to help foster better bilateral relations. But it was also a personal decision.
"Macron's eloquent eulogy in wake of the Queen's death and his shared concern for the environment made him an ideal match for the new King. Sadly it is not to be."
Despite the postponement of the France trip, Charles and Camilla are still due to visit Germany next week with a string of engagements in Berlin and Hamburg.
And Tessa explained: "Instead post-Brexit Britain's new King will make his first state visit to Germany.
"How times have changed. Elizabeth didn't visit Germany until 1965. It was not through a lack of trying on West Germany's part.
"Longing to be brought back into the fold post-war and win the seal of approval from the British monarchy, the former Nazi state was made to wait.
"Back then we could afford to withhold our soft power. Not anymore. In a tough political climate, King Charles and Queen Camilla know Britain needs all the European love it can get.
"If that means their first international date is with ploddish German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and politicians in the Bundestag, so be it."
Tessa Dunlop is the author of Elizabeth and Philip, the story of young love, marriage and monarchy, published by Headline Press is out now.
