 | |
 United Kingdom |  France |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Embassy of the United Kingdom, Paris | Embassy of France, London |
| Envoy | |
| AmbassadorMenna Rawlings | Ambassador Hélène Tréheux-Duchêne |
The historical ties betweenFrance and theUnited Kingdom, and the countries preceding them, are long and complex, including conquest,wars, andalliances at various points in history. TheRoman era saw both areas largely conquered by Rome, whose fortifications largely remain in both countries to this day. TheNorman conquest of England in 1066, followed by the long domination of thePlantagenet dynasty of French origin, decisively shaped the English language and led to early conflict between the two nations.
Throughout theMiddle Ages and into theEarly Modern Period,France andEngland were often bitter rivals, with both nations' monarchsclaiming control over France and Franceroutinely allying against England with their other rivalScotland until theUnion of the Crowns. The historical rivalry between the two nations was seeded in theCapetian-Plantagenet rivalry over the French holdings of thePlantagenets in France. After the French victory in theHundred Years' War, England would never again establish a foothold in French territory.
Rivalry continued with manyAnglo-French wars. The last major conflict between the two was theFrench Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1793–1815), in which coalitions of European powers, financed by London, fought a series of wars against theFrench First Republic, theFirst French Empire and its client states, culminating in the defeat ofNapoleon in 1815. For several decades the peace was uneasy withfear of French invasion in 1859 and during the laterrivalry for African colonies. Nevertheless, peace has generally prevailed since Napoleon I, and friendly ties between the two were formally established with the 1904Entente Cordiale, and the British and French were allied against Germany in bothWorld War I andWorld War II; in the latter conflict, British armies helped toliberate occupied France fromNazi Germany.
France and the UK were key partners in theWest during theCold War, consistently supportingliberal democracy andcapitalism. They were founding members of theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) defence alliance and are permanent members of theUN Security Council. France has been a member of theEuropean Union (EU), and its predecessors, since creation as theEuropean Economic Community in 1957. In the 1960s, relations deteriorated due to French PresidentCharles de Gaulle's concerns over thespecial relationship between the UK and the United States. He repeatedly vetoed British entry into theEuropean Communities, the predecessor to the EU, and withdrew France fromNATO integrated command, arguing the alliance was too heavily dominated by the United States.
In 1973, following de Gaulle's death, the UK entered the European Communities and in 2009 France returned to an active role in NATO under the presidency ofNicolas Sarkozy. Since then, the two countries have experienced a close relationship, especially on defence and foreign policy issues; however they disagreed on several other matters, most notably the direction of the European Union.[1] The United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020, following thereferendum held on 23 June 2016, onBrexit.[2] Relations have since deteriorated, with disagreements surrounding Brexit and theEnglish Channel migrant crisis.[3][4][5]
In the 21st century, France and Britain, though they have chosen different paths and share many overlooked similarities (with roughly the same population, economic size, commitment to democracy, diplomatic clout, and as heads of former global empires.[6][7][8][9]), are often still referred to as "historic rivals",[10] with a perceived ever-lasting competition.[11] French author José-Alain Fralon characterised the relationship between the countries by describing the British as "our most dear enemies".
It is estimated that about 350,000 French peoplelive in the UK, with approximately 200,000 Britonsliving in France.[12] Both countries are members of theCouncil of Europe andNATO.France is aEuropean Union member and the United Kingdom is aformer European Union member.
The UK and France became close in the aftermath ofWorld War II, as both feared the Americans would withdraw from Europe leaving them vulnerable to theSoviet Union's expanding communist bloc. The UK was successful in strongly advocating that France be given a zone ofoccupied Germany. Both states were amongst the fivePermanent Members of the newUN Security Council, where they commonly collaborated. However, France was bitter when the United States and Britain refused to share atomic secrets with it. An Americanoperation to use air strikes (including the potential use of tactical nuclear weapons) during the climax of theBattle of Dien Bien Phu in May 1954 was cancelled because of opposition by the British.[13][14] The upshot was France developed its own nuclear weapons and delivery systems.[15]
TheCold War began in 1947, as the United States, with strong British support, announced theTruman Doctrine to contain Communist expansion and provided military and economic aid to Greece and Turkey. Despite its large pro-Soviet Communist Party, France joined the Allies. The first move was the Franco-British alliance realised in the Dunkirk Treaty in March 1947.[16]
In 1956, theSuez Canal, previously owned by an Anglo-French company, was nationalised by the Egyptian government. The British and the French were both strongly committed to taking the canal back by force.[17] President Eisenhower and the Soviet Union demanded there be no invasion and both imposed heavy pressure to reverse the invasion when it came. The relations between Britain and France were not entirely harmonious, as the French did not inform the British about the involvement of Israel until very close to the commencement of military operations.[18] The failure in Suez convinced Paris it needed its own nuclear weapons.[19][20]
Immediately after the Suez crisis Anglo-French relations started to sour again, and only since the last decades of the 20th century have they improved towards the peak they achieved between 1900 and 1940.
Shortly after 1956, France,West Germany, Italy,Belgium, theNetherlands andLuxembourg formed what would become theEuropean Economic Community and later theEuropean Union, but rejected British requests for membership. In particular, PresidentCharles de Gaulle's attempts to exclude the British from European affairs during France's earlyFifth Republic are now seen by many in Britain as a betrayal of the strong bond between the countries, andAnthony Eden's exclusion of France from the Commonwealth is seen in a similar light in France. The French partly feared that were the British to join the EEC they would attempt to dominate it.
Over the years, the UK and France have often taken diverging courses within the European Community. British policy has favoured an expansion of the Community andfree trade while France has advocated a closer political union and restricting membership of the Community to a core of Western European states.
In 1958, with France mired in a seemingly unwinnable war inAlgeria, Charles de Gaulle returned to power in France. He created theFifth French Republic, ending the post-war parliamentary system and replacing it with a strong Presidency, which became dominated by his followers—theGaullists. De Gaulle made ambitious changes to French foreign policy—first ending the war in Algeria, and then withdrawing France from theNATO command structure. The latter move was primarily symbolic, but NATO headquarters moved to Brussels and French generals had a much lesser role.[21][22]
French policy blocking British entry into theEuropean Economic Community (EEC) was primarily motivated by political rather than economic considerations. In 1967, as in 1961–63, de Gaulle was determined to preserve France's dominance within the EEC, which was the foundation of the nation's international stature. His policy was to preserve the Community of Six while barring Britain. Although France succeeded in excluding Britain in the short term, in the longer term the French had to adjust their stance on enlargement in order to retain influence. De Gaulle feared that letting Britain into the European Community would open the way for "Anglo-Saxon" (i.e., US and UK) influence to overwhelm the France-West Germany coalition that was now dominant. On 14 January 1963, de Gaulle announced that France wouldveto Britain's entry into the Common Market.[23]
When de Gaulle resigned in 1969, a new French government underGeorges Pompidou was prepared to open a more friendly dialogue with Britain. He felt that in the economic crises of the 1970s, Europe needed Britain. Pompidou welcomed British membership of theEEC, opening the way for the United Kingdom to join it in 1973.[25]
The two countries' relationship was strained significantly in the lead-up to the 2003War in Iraq. Britain and its American ally strongly advocated the use of force to removeSaddam Hussein, while France (with China, Russia, and other nations) strongly opposed such action, with French PresidentJacques Chirac threatening to veto any resolution proposed to theUN Security Council. However, despite such differences Chirac and then British Prime MinisterTony Blair maintained a fairly close relationship during their years in office even after the Iraq War started.[26] Both states asserted the importance of theEntente Cordiale alliance, and the role it had played during the 20th century.
Following his election in 2007, PresidentNicolas Sarkozy attempted to forge closer relations between France and the United Kingdom: in March 2008, Prime MinisterGordon Brown said that "there has never been greater cooperation between France and Britain as there is now".[27] Sarkozy also urged both countries to "overcome our long-standing rivalries and build together a future that will be stronger because we will be together".[28] He also said "If we want to change Europe my dear British friends—and weFrenchmen do wish to change Europe—we need you inside Europe to help us do so, not standing on the outside."[29] On 26 March 2008, Sarkozy had the privilege of giving a speech to both BritishHouses of Parliament, where he called for a "brotherhood" between the two countries[30] and stated that "France will never forget Britain's war sacrifice" during World War II.[31]
In March 2008, Sarkozy made astate visit to Britain, promising closer cooperation between the two countries' governments in the future.[32]
The final months towards the end ofFrançois Hollande's tenure as president saw theUK vote to leave the EU. His response to the result was "I profoundly regret this decision for the United Kingdom and for Europe, but the choice is theirs and we have to respect it."[33]
The then-Economy Minister and current PresidentEmmanuel Macron accused the UK of taking the EU "hostage" with a referendum called to solve a domestic political problem of eurosceptics and that "the failure of the British government [has opened up] the possibility of the crumbling of Europe."[34]
In contrast, the vote was welcomed by Eurosceptic political leaders and presidential candidatesMarine Le Pen andNicolas Dupont-Aignan as a victory for "freedom".[35][36]
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In the aftermath ofBrexit, fishing disputes, notably the2021 Jersey dispute, have caused turbulence in relations between the two countries.[37]
In May 2021, France threatened to cut off electricity to the BritishChannel Island ofJersey in a fight over post-Brexit fishing rights.[38][39]
In August 2021, tensions emerged between the countries after the announcement of theAUKUS agreement between the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia.[40]
In October 2021, theUK Foreign Office summoned the French ambassador over "threats" made by French officials against Jersey.[41] In November, France threatened to ban UK fishing vessels from French ports.[42]
In November 2021, relations became more stagnant after the French Foreign MinisterJean-Yves Le Drian claimed that British Prime MinisterBoris Johnson is a "populist who uses all elements at his disposal to blame others for problems he faces internally".[43] A few days later, after 27 migrants drowned in theEnglish Channel, Prime MinisterBoris Johnson tweeted a letter that was sent to French PresidentEmmanuel Macron which had irritated him due to the letter being made public on Twitter.[44] The French Interior MinisterGérald Darmanin cancelled a proposed meeting with British Home SecretaryPriti Patel over the migrant crossings due to the row over the letter.[45]
On 6 March 2022, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin urged Britain to do more to assist Ukrainian refugees trapped in the French port of Calais, claiming that British officials were turning them away owing to a lack of permits or papers.[46]
On 25 August 2022, Liz Truss, the expected candidate for Prime Minister from the Conservative Party was asked if she sees Macron as a friend or a rival. Truss hesitated and replied that "The jury's out. But if I become prime minister, I'll judge him on deeds, not words".This answer brought a sharp reaction on behalf of theLabour Party whenDavid Lammy, who serves as the party's foreign affairs spokesman, said in response that "the fact that she chose to unnecessarily insult one of our closest allies shows a lack of judgement, and that lack of capacity is a terrible and worrying thing." Macron himself responded that "the British people, Britain itself, are a friendly, strong nation and our ally, regardless of the identity of its leaders, and sometimes despite its leaders or the small mistakes they make in their attempt to impress the audience". He added: "If we, France and Britain, are unable to say whether we are friends or enemies - and the term is not neutral - then we are on the way to serious problems. If I were to be asked this question, I would not hesitate for a second - Britain is France's friend."[47]
A bilateral summit in March 2023 between PresidentEmmanuel Macron and Prime MinisterRishi Sunak marked a shift towards collaboration on energy, migration, and security.[48]
The election of Prime MinisterKeir Starmer in 2024 further strengthened ties, with both governments issuing a joint statement reaffirming commitments to European security and climate action.
Symbolic events, such asKing Charles III's 2023 state visit to France have further reinforced bilateral ties.[49]
The two nations have a post WWII record of working together on international security measures, as was seen in theSuez Crisis andFalklands War. In her 2020 book, Johns Hopkins University SAIS political scientist Alice Pannier writes that there is a growing "special relationship" between France and the UK in terms of defence cooperation.[50]
On 2 November 2010, France and the UK signed twodefence co-operation treaties. They provide for the sharing of aircraft carriers, a 10,000-strong joint reaction force, a common nuclear simulation centre in France, a common nuclear research centre in the UK, sharing air-refuelling tankers and joint training.[51][52]
Their post-colonial entanglements have given them a more outward focus than the other countries of Europe, leading them to work together on issues such as theLibyan Civil War.[53]
France is the United Kingdom's third-biggest export market after the United States and Germany. Exports to France rose 14.3% from £16.542 billion in 2010 to £18.905 billion in 2011, overtaking exports to the Netherlands. Over the same period, French exports to Britain rose 5.5% from £18.133 billion to £19.138 billion.[54]
The BritishForeign & Commonwealth Office estimates that 19.3 million British citizens, roughly a third of the entire population, visit France each year.[55] In 2018, they reported 13 million trips.[56] In 2012, the French were the biggest visitors to the UK (12%, 3,787,000) and the second-biggest tourist spenders in Britain (8%, £1.513 billion).[57]
TheEntente Cordiale Scholarship scheme is a selective Franco-British scholarship scheme which was announced on 30 October 1995 by British Prime MinisterJohn Major and French PresidentJacques Chirac at an Anglo-French summit in London.[58]
It provides funding for British and French students to study for one academic year on the other side of the Channel. The scheme is administered by the French embassy in London for British students,[59] and by theBritish Council in France and the UK embassy in Paris for French students.[60][61] Funding is provided by the private sector and foundations.The scheme aims to favour mutual understanding and to promote exchanges between the British and French leaders of tomorrow.
The programme was initiated by SirChristopher Mallaby, British ambassador to France between 1993 and 1996.[62]
TheConcorde supersonic commercial aircraft was developed under an international treaty between the UK and France in 1962, and commenced flying in 1969. It was a technological success but a financial disaster and was closed down after a runway crash in 2000 and fully ended flights in 2003.[63]
Over the centuries, French and Britishart andculture have been heavily influenced by each other.[64] During the 19th century, numerous French artists moved to the United Kingdom, which many of them settling inLondon. These artists includedCharles-François Daubigny,Claude Monet,Camille Pissarro,James Tissot andAlfred Sisley. This exodus would prove to have a significant influence on the development ofimpressionism in Britain.[65]
Sexual euphemisms with no link to France, such asFrench kissing, orFrench letter for acondom, are used in British English slang.[66] While in French slang, the termle vice anglais refers to eitherBDSM orhomosexuality.[67] French classical music has always been popular in Britain.British popular music is in turn popular in France.English literature, in particular the works ofAgatha Christie andWilliam Shakespeare, has been immensely popular in France. French artistEugène Delacroix based many of his paintings on scenes from Shakespeare's plays. In turn, French writers such asMolière,Voltaire andVictor Hugo have beentranslated numerous times into English. In general, most of the more popular books in either language are translated into the other. The same can be applied for adaptations of said books; some of which have achieved considerable critical and commercial success in both territories. For example, the West End production of the musical adaptation of Hugo’s novel,Les Misérables premiered in 1985 and is still running to this very day.[citation needed]
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The firstforeign language most commonly taught in schools in Britain isFrench, and the first foreign language most commonly taught in schools in France isEnglish; those are also the languages perceived as "most useful to learn" in both countries.Queen Elizabeth II of the UK was fluent in French and did not require an interpreter when travelling to French-language countries.[68][69] French is a substantial minority language and immigrantlanguage in the United Kingdom, with over 100,000 French-born people in the UK. According to a 2006 European Commission report, 23% of UK residents are able to carry on a conversation in French and 39% of French residents are able to carry on a conversation in English.[70] French is also an official language in bothJersey andGuernsey. Both use French to some degree, mostly in an administrative or ceremonial capacity.Jersey Legal French is the standardised variety used in Jersey. However,Norman (in its local forms,Guernésiais andJèrriais) is the historicalvernacular of the islands.
Both languages have influenced each other throughout the years. According todifferent sources, more than 50% of all English words have a French origin, and today manyFrench expressions have entered the English language as well.[71] The termFranglais, aportmanteau combining the French words "français" and "anglais", refers to the combination of French and English (mostly in the UK) or the use of English words and nouns of Anglo-Saxon roots in French (in France).
Modern andMiddle English reflect a mixture ofOïl andOld English lexicons after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, when a Norman-speaking aristocracy took control of a population whose mother tongue was Germanic in origin. Due to the intertwined histories of England and continental possessions of the English Crown, many formal and legal words in Modern English have French roots. For example,buy andsell are of Germanic origin, whilepurchase andvend are fromOld French.
In the sport ofrugby union there is arivalry between England and France. Both countries compete in theSix Nations Championship and theRugby World Cup. England has the edge in both tournaments, having the most outright wins in the Six Nations (and its previous version the Five Nations), and most recently knocking the French team out of the2003 and2007 World Cups at the semi-final stage, although France knocked England out of the2011 Rugby World Cup with a convincing score in their quarter final match. Though rugby is originally a British sport,French rugby has developed to such an extent that the English and French teams are now stiff competitors, with neither side greatly superior to the other. While English influences spread rugby union at an early stage to Scotland, Wales and Ireland, as well as the Commonwealth realms, French influence spread the sport outside the commonwealth, to Italy, Argentina, Romania and Georgia.
The influence of French players and coaches on British football has been increasing in recent years and is often cited as an example of Anglo-French cooperation. In particular thePremier League clubArsenal has become known for its Anglo-French connection due to a heavy influx of French players since the advent of French managerArsène Wenger in 1996. In March 2008 theirEmirates stadium was chosen as the venue for a meeting during astate visit by the French President precisely for this reason.[72]
Many people blamed the then French PresidentJacques Chirac for contributing to Paris' loss to London in its bid for the2012 Summer Olympics after he made derogatory remarks aboutBritish cuisine and saying that "onlyFinnish food is worse". TheIOC committee which would ultimately decide to give the games to London (by four votes) had two members from Finland.[73]
The busiest seaway in the world,[74] theEnglish Channel, connects ports in Great Britain such asDover,Newhaven,Poole,Weymouth,Portsmouth andPlymouth to ports such asRoscoff,Calais,Boulogne,Dunkerque,Dieppe,Cherbourg-Octeville,Caen,St Malo andLe Havre in mainland France. Companies such asBrittany Ferries,P&O Ferries,DFDS Seaways andLD Lines operate ferry services across the Channel.
In addition, there are ferries across theAnguilla Channel betweenBlowing Point,Anguilla (a British Overseas Territory) andMarigot,Saint Martin (an overseas collectivity of France).[75]
TheChannel Tunnel (French:Le tunnel sous la Manche; also referred to as theChunnel)[76][77] is a 50.5-kilometre (31.4 mi) undersea rail tunnel (linkingFolkestone,Kent, in the United Kingdom withCoquelles,Pas-de-Calais, near the city ofCalais in northern France) beneath theEnglish Channel at theStrait of Dover. Ideas for a cross-Channel fixed link appeared as early as 1802,[78][79] but British political and press pressure over compromised national security stalled attempts to construct a tunnel.[80] The eventual successfulproject, organised byEurotunnel, began construction in 1988 and was opened by BritishQueen Elizabeth II and French PresidentFrançois Mitterrand in a ceremony held in Calais on 6 May 1994. The same year theAmerican Society of Civil Engineers elected the Channel Tunnel as one of the seven modernWonders of the World.[81]
11,675,910 passengers in 2008 travelled on flights between the United Kingdom and France.[82]
France has the most twin cities and towns in the United Kingdom.[citation needed]
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Aberdeen and
Clermont-Ferrand,Puy-de-DômeAndover,Hampshire andRedon,Ille-et-VilaineAngmering,West Sussex andOuistreham,CalvadosAnstruther,Fife andBapaume,Pas-de-CalaisAylesbury,Buckinghamshire andBourg-en-Bresse,AinAylsham,Norfolk andLa Chaussée-Saint-Victor,Loir-et-CherBarnet,London andLe Raincy,Seine-Saint-DenisBarrow upon Soar,Leicestershire andMarans,Charente-MaritimeBasildon,Essex andMeaux,Seine-et-MarneBasingstoke,Hampshire andAlençon,OrneBath,Somerset andAix-en-Provence,Bouches-du-RhôneBeaminster,Dorset andSaint-James,MancheBeccles,Suffolk andPetit-Couronne,Seine-MaritimeBirmingham,West Midlands andLyon,Metropolitan LyonBlandford Forum,Dorset andMortain,MancheBolton,Greater Manchester andLe Mans,SartheBourne,Lincolnshire andDoudeville,Seine-MaritimeBridport,Dorset andSaint-Vaast-la-Hougue,MancheBristol,City of Bristol andBordeaux,GirondeBury,Greater Manchester andAngoulême,CharenteCamberley,Surrey andSucy-en-Brie,Val-de-MarneCanterbury,Kent andReims,MarneCardiff andNantes,Loire-AtlantiqueChelmsford,Essex andAnnonay,ArdècheCheltenham,Gloucestershire andAnnecy,Haute-SavoieChester,Cheshire andSens,YonneChichester,West Sussex andChartres,Eure-et-LoirChippenham,Wiltshire andLa Flèche,SartheChipping Ongar,Essex andCerizay,Deux-SèvresChristchurch,Dorset andSaint-Lô,MancheCockermouth,Cumbria andMarvejols,LozèreColeraine andLa Roche Sur Yon,Pays de ka LoireColchester,Essex andAvignon,VaucluseCongleton,Cheshire andTrappes,YvelinesCowbridge,Vale of Glamorgan andClisson,Pays de la LoireCowes,Isle of Wight andDeauville,CalvadosCrewe,Cheshire andMâcon,Saône-et-LoireDevizes,Wiltshire andMayenne,Pays de la Loire[83]Dorchester,Dorset andBayeux,CalvadosDover,Kent andCalais,Pas-de-CalaisDroylsden,Tameside andVillemomble,Seine-Saint-DenisDukinfield,Cheshire andChampagnole,JuraDundee andOrléans,LoiretEaling,London andMarcq-en-Barœul,NordEast Preston,West Sussex andBrou,Eure-et-LoirEdinburgh andNice,Alpes-MaritimesElmbridge,Surrey andRueil-Malmaison,Hauts-de-SeineEpsom,Surrey andChantilly,OiseExeter,Devon andRennes,Ille-et-VilaineExmouth,Devon andDinan,Côtes-d'ArmorFareham,Hampshire, andVannes,MorbihanFerndown,Dorset andSegré,Maine-et-LoireFarnborough,Hampshire andMeudon,Hauts-de-SeineFolkestone,Kent andBoulogne-sur-Mer,Pas-de-CalaisGlasgow andMarseille,Bouches-du-RhôneGloucester,Gloucestershire andMetz,MoselleGodalming,Surrey andJoigny,YonneHailsham,East Sussex andGournay-en-Bray,Seine-MaritimeHammersmith and Fulham,London andBoulogne-Billancourt,Hauts-de-SeineHarrogate,Yorkshire andLuchon,Haute-GaronneHarrold,Bedfordshire andSainte-Pazanne,Loire-AtlantiqueHarrow,London andDouai,NordHastings,East Sussex andBéthune,Pas-de-CalaisHavering,London andHesdin,Pas-de-CalaisHereford,Herefordshire andVierzon,CherHerne Bay,Kent andWimereux,Pas-de-CalaisHillingdon,London andMantes-la-Jolie,YvelinesHitchin,Hertfordshire andNuits-Saint-Georges,Côte-d'OrHorsham,West Sussex andSaint-Maixent-l'Ecole,Deux-SèvresHounslow,London andIssy-les-Moulineaux,Hauts-de-SeineInverness andSaint-Valery-en-Caux,Seine-MaritimeIpswich,Suffolk andArras,Pas-de-CalaisKensington and Chelsea,London andCannes,Alpes-MaritimesLeeds,Yorkshire andLille,NordLeicester andStrasbourg,Bas-RhinLewisham,London andAntony,Hauts-de-SeineLichfield,Staffordshire andSainte-Foy-lès-Lyon,Lyon MetropolisLittlehampton,West Sussex andChennevières-sur-Marne,Val-de-MarneLlandeilo,Carmarthenshire andLe Conquet,FinistèreLlanelli,Carmarthenshire andAgen,Lot-et-GaronneLondon andParis (this is not a twinning, since Paris is twinned only withRome, but they are partner cities)Loughborough,Leicestershire andÉpinal,VosgesMaidenhead,Berkshire andSaint-Cloud,Hauts-de-SeineMaidstone,Kent andBeauvais,OiseMerthyr Tydfil,Merthyr Tydfil andClichy,Hauts-de-SeineMiddlesbrough,Yorkshire andDunkirk,NordNewcastle upon Tyne andNancy,Meurthe-et-MoselleNewhaven,East Sussex andLa Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin,LoiretNorthampton,Northamptonshire andPoitiers,VienneNorwich,Norfolk andRouen,Seine-MaritimeOxford,Oxfordshire andGrenoble,IsèrePerth andCognac,CharentePlymouth,Devon andBrest,FinistèrePortsmouth,Hampshire andCaen,CalvadosPoole,Dorset andCherbourg-Octeville,ManchePreston,Lancashire andNîmes,GardRamsgate,Kent andConflans-Sainte-Honorine,YvelinesReigate,Surrey andBrunoy,EssonneRichmond upon Thames,London andFontainebleau,Seine-et-MarneRochdale,Greater Manchester andTourcoing,NordRotherham,Yorkshire andSaint-Quentin,AisneRoyston,Hertfordshire andLa Loupe,Eure-et-LoirBorough of Runnymede,Surrey andJoinville-le-Pont,Val-de-MarneSalford,Greater Manchester andClermont-Ferrand,Puy-de-DômeSalisbury,Wiltshire andSaintes,Charente-MaritimeSawbridgeworth,Hertfordshire andBry-sur-Marne,Val-de-MarneSelby,Yorkshire andCarentan,MancheSherborne,Dorset andGranville,MancheCity of Southampton,Hampshire andLe Havre,Seine-MaritimeSouthborough,Kent andLambersart,NordSpelthorne,Surrey andMelun,Seine-et-MarneSt Albans,Hertfordshire andNevers,NièvreStalybridge,Tameside andArmentières,NordStevenage,Hertfordshire andAutun,Saône-et-LoireStockport,Greater Manchester andBéziers,HéraultSturminster Newton,Dorset andMontebourg,MancheSunderland,Tyne & Wear andSaint-Nazaire,Loire-AtlantiqueSutton,London andGagny,Seine-Saint-DenisTaunton,Somerset andLisieux,CalvadosTruro,Cornwall andMorlaix,FinistèreVale of White Horse,Oxfordshire andColmar,Haut-RhinVerwood,Dorset andChamptoceaux,Maine-et-LoireWaltham Forest,London andSaint-Mandé,Val-de-MarneWare,Hertfordshire andCormeilles-en-Parisis,Val d'OiseWareham,Dorset andConches-en-Ouche,EureWatford,Hertfordshire andNanterre,Hauts-de-SeineWellington,Shropshire andChâtenay-Malabry,Hauts-de-SeineWembury,Devonshire andLocmaria-Plouzané,FinistèreWetherby,Yorkshire andPrivas,ArdècheWeymouth and Portland,Dorset andLouviers,EureWhitstable,Kent andDainville,Pas-de-CalaisWigan,Greater Manchester andAngers,Maine-et-LoireWimborne Minster,Dorset andValognes,MancheWinchester,Hampshire andLaon,AisneWindsor,Berkshire andNeuilly-sur-Seine,Hauts-de-SeineMetropolitan Borough of Wirral,Merseyside andLorient,Morbihan andGennevilliers,Hauts-de-SeineWoking,Surrey andLe Plessis-Robinson,Hauts-de-SeineYork,Yorkshire andDijon,Côte-d'OrThere are lists oftwinnings (including those to towns in other countries) atList of twin towns and sister cities in France and atList of twin towns and sister cities in the United Kingdom.
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Media related toRelations of France and the United Kingdom at Wikimedia Commons
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