A Cultural Connection

Gallery

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This photograph by Abbie Rowe of the National Park Service shows President Harry S. Truman, General Charles de Gaulle of France, and other military leaders saluting on the South Lawn.
National Archives and Records Administration
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In this color photograph, President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy along with the guest of honor André Malraux, Minister of State for Cultural Affairs of France and his wife, Madeleine Malraux pose for a picture at the foot of the Grand Staircase in the White House Entrance Hall prior to a White House dinner on May 11, 1962.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
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This photograph by shows part of the arrival ceremony for President Georges Pompidou of France on February 24, 1970, whose visit occurred during the Richard M. Nixon administration. The two presidents can be seen walking from the stage on the South Lawn.
White House Historical Association
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President Jimmy Carter and French Prime Minister Raymond Barre attend a working dinner in the White House on September 15, 1977.
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
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First Lady Nancy Reagan talks with her social secretary, Gahl Hodges Burt, as they walk through the Cross Hall of the White House on March 22, 1984. Danielle Mitterrand, wife of French President Francois Mitterrand, walks ahead of them on the right. The Mitterrands were in Washington, D.C., for an official State Visit.
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
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President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush stand with President Nicolas Sarkozy of France on the North Portico of the White House after his arrival for a State Dinner on November 6, 2007.
George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum/NARA
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Singer Mary J. Blige performs during the State Dinner for President François Hollande of France inside a tent on the South Lawn of the White House, February 11, 2014. Hollande can be seen between President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
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President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump host President Emmanuel Macron and Mrs. Brigitte Macron of France at the arrival ceremony for the first official state visit of the Trump Administration on April 24, 2018.
Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks
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This photograph of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. sharing a toast with President Emmanuel Macron of the French Republic was taken by Matthew D'Agostino on December 1, 2022. The two presidents were photographed onstage during a State Dinner, held on the South Lawn, in honor of the French president's visit to the White House.
Matthew D'Agostino for the White House Historical Association

About this Gallery

For more than two hundred years, France and the United States have enjoyed a relationship unparalleled in world history. From the American Revolution and the Founding Fathers to the current administration, these two countries have shared a strong connection through art, culture, and history.

Past French Official State Visit that included a State Dinner are listed below:

October 22, 1931: State Dinner for Prime Minister Pierre Laval, hosted by President Herbert Hoover
August 22, 1945: State Dinner for Provisional President Charles De Gaulle, hosted by President Harry S. Truman
March 28, 1951: State Dinner for President Vincent Auriol, hosted by President Harry S. Truman at the Carlton Hotel due to White House renovations
April 22, 1960: State Dinner for President Charles de Gaulle, hosted by President Dwight D. Eisenhower
February 24, 1970: State Dinner for President Georges Pompidou, hosted by President Richard M. Nixon
May 17, 1976: State Dinner for President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, hosted by President Gerald R. Ford
September 15, 1977: Working Dinner for Prime Minister Raymond Barre, hosted by President Jimmy Carter
October 18, 1981: State Dinner for President François Mitterrand, hosted by President Ronald Reagan (held in Williamsburg, Virginia)
March 22, 1984: State Dinner for President Francois Mitterrand, hosted by President Ronald Reagan
March 31, 1987: State Dinner for Prime Minister Jacques Chirac, hosted by President Ronald Reagan
February 1, 1996: State Dinner for President Jacques Chirac, hosted by President William J. Clinton
November 6, 2007: State Dinner for President Nicolas Sarkozy, hosted by President George W. Bush
February 11, 2014: State Dinner for President François Hollande, hosted by President Barack Obama
April 24, 2018: State Dinner for President Emmanuel Macron, hosted by President Donald Trump
December 1, 2022: State Dinner for President Emmanuel Macron, hosted by President Joseph Biden