France change car for the Queen over fears her hat is too high for roof
French President, Francois Hollande, decided to change the car when it was felt the Citroen DS5 might not be able to fit the Queen's hat
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The President of France, François Hollande, has offered the Queen the use of a bulletproof Renault Vel Satis car after it was found the original car she was going to travel to the D-day landing commemorations in would not be high enough to fit one of her hats.
Despite months of planning for the Queen’s visit, French organisers have had to rethink the Queen’s vehicle after fears that her hat might get squashed by the low roof of the Citroen DS5 – the car usually used by the President.
Instead, the Queen and President Hollande will now take the roomier Vel Satis to the commemoration event for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
At one point, a people carrier was offered to ensure the Queen’s hat stayed uncrumpled, but this was quickly vetoed as it was felt that this was not royal enough for a British monarch to travel in.
The Del Satis is not seen by the French as the most glamorous car.
Despite its classical exterior and roomy interior, the Del Satis was largely panned on its release in 2002 and proved to be a commercial failure for Renault.
In 2009, the car was halted after only seven years in production.
For Hollande the choice of the car is part of his plan to present himself as a president of the people and show he is different from his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy, who many thought was too flashy.
The French are putting a lot of effort for the Queen’s visit and have a number of events planned to celebrate her crossing the Channel.
According to reports, the Queen will be greeted off the Eurostar with a bouquet of roses as well as a photo album with pictures from her previous visits to France.
It is also believed that the famous flower market on one of Paris’ natural island Île de la Cité is to be renamed Queen Elizbeth II market for the day.
The D-Day commemoration day will take place at various locations along the Normandy Coast, with the main international event taking place on Sword Beach the furthest east of the beaches targeted during the D-Day landings.
Alongside the Queen and Hollande, other world politicians will be in attendance, including US President Barack Obama and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Additional Reporting AP
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments