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President Macron became the youngest French President in the nation’s history in 2017, but he has since been criticised for being detached from the public. Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles will be welcoming him to Clarence House today, to recognise the 80th anniversary of Charles de Gaulle’s appeal for help in 1940. The Royal Family will be acting on behalf of the Government although Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host the French President at No.10 Downing Street, too.

President Macron may appear to have more in common with his political counterpart, Mr Johnson, but he actually shares a royal link with Charles which also involves General de Gaulle.

As President of France, Mr Macron is a co-prince — even though France itself has been a republic since 1789.

Town & Country explained in May 2017 that his royal title relates to Andorra.

This is a 180-square mile Catalan-speaking area which is between France and Spain, caught in the Pyrenees.

It is also one of the last 12 remaining monarchies in Europe and has a population of approximately 80,000.

The article explained: “The title of co-prince is an automatic perk bestowed on the French head of state.

“So when Macron puts on his (symbolic) crown, he’ll be the latest monarch to reign over the ski runs at Grandvalira and Vallnord, dozens of duty-free bauble shops and controversially, more than a few suspiciously secret bank accounts.”

The nation was subject to a banking crisis in 2015, which saw bankers imprisoned and its government trying to convince regulators that it is not a tax-haven.

Former President Nicolas Sarkozy even threatened in 2009 to renounce his title as co-prince if Andorra did not alter its secret banking laws, although he never acted on his threat.

In 2017, the Town & Country article explained: “Since the title is technically co-prince, His Excellency will have to share his cushy gig with the Spanish Bishop of Urgell (currently Joan Enric Vives Sicilia).

“It all dates back to an agreement formed in 1279 when the bishop and the Count of Foix agreed to avoid a war by recognising each other as co-princes.”

It is one of the few places in the world where a diarchy, two figures ruling together, has been successful.

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The title of co-prince later passed to the kings of Navarre, then the kings of France.

When the monarchs were deposed, the title went to the president.

Town & Country remarked that this was “an impressive feat on a continent otherwise packed with violent power struggles”.

However, General de Gaulle, who was also a French co-prince as a former president, visited Andorra in 1967 he told the bishop that he did not want any festivities which recognised his title.

Royal Central pointed out last year: “A new Constitution came into effect in 1993 when the people voted to establish a new government, composed of separate executive, legislative and judicial branches.

“Executive power was transferred to the Prime Minister of Andorra, even though the Co-Princes are still the heads of state to this day.”

Andorra has been a member of the United Nations since 1993 and uses the euro as its currency although it is not part of the European Union like other European microstates of Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City.

Mr Macron visited the landlocked state in September last year for the first time and has thus far been quite laid-back when it comes to Andorran politics.

Royal titles do not extend behind the holders, so there is no extended Royal Family associated with Andorra as in Great Britain.

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