King Charles unveils painful-looking injury while hosting French president Emmanuel Macron

Ouch. The King has turned up to welcome the French president to the UK sporting a very painful-looking injury.

IN LONDON

King Charles appears to have suffered from a burst blood vessel in his eye as he stepped into the spotlight to host a high-profile state visit.

The British monarch, who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer, was sporting a bright red right eye in pictures taken as he welcomed French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife, First Lady Brigitte, to Windsor on Tuesday.

According to The Sun, his eye was affected overnight prior to the visit and is unrelated to any other health conditions.

The King was joined by the Queen and Prince William and Kate, the Princess of Wales, in a royal carriage procession with the Macrons.

The King appeared in Windsor with a painful-looking red eye. Picture: Dylan Martinez – WPA Pool/Getty Images

It’s understood his eye was affected sometime overnight before the state visit began. Picture: Dylan Martinez – WPA Pool/Getty Images

MORE: ‘Messy’: Charles, Camilla ‘time apart’ exposed

Following the carriage procession, Mr and Mrs Macron had lunch with the royal family at Windsor Castle.

It marks the first time a state visit has been hosted at that royal residence, rather than Buckingham Palace, in more than a decade. It’s also the first French state visit to the UK in almost 20 years, following former president Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2008 visit.

The senior royals welcomed the French couple to Windsor. Picture: Dylan Martinez – WPA Pool/Getty Images

MORE: Wild reason Charles can’t kick Andrew out

Following lunch, Mr Macron laid a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey before heading to the Palace of Westminster to address the British parliament.

On Tuesday evening, UK time, he and his wife will be the gests of honour at a State Banquet at Windsor Castle.

Meanwhile, details of the four gifts brought to Windsor by Mr Macron for the King have been revealed, with each piece carefully chosen to reflect his personal interests.

It includes a rare, special edition of Claude Debussy’s opera, Pelléas et Mélisande, which features a handwritten dedication from the original publisher to one of the performers, a ceremonial trumpet associated with the French National Guard, a personalised, luxury watercolour box and a gourmet hamper of sweet and savoury delicacies from France.

Originally published as King Charles unveils painful-looking injury while hosting French president Emmanuel Macron