Elizabeth insists on stroll through Paris

The British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, will make a "significant departure" from protocol during today's state visit to France when she abandons her official car, takes to her feet and strolls 400 yards through the centre of Paris.

To the astonishment of aides, the Queen has shrugged aside security concerns, insisting that she be seen by as many people as possible during the visit, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale between Britain and France.

She is understood to have requested that her three-day trip should be short on pomp and big on "accessibility". As a result, her itinerary includes four walkabouts.

The Queen will be officially welcomed by President Jacques Chirac at Place de la Concorde.
Closed to traffic

Later, she will take her stroll down the chic Rue Faubourg Saint-Honore from the Elysee Palace – where she and Prince Philip are to stay – to the residence of the British ambassador, Sir John Holmes.

The narrow two-lane street lined by tall buildings – many of them embassies, designer stores, art galleries and five-star hotels – will be closed to traffic but not to pedestrians.

"From the beginning, Buckingham Palace has been anxious to ensure that she is as accessible as possible during the visit," said one British official. "The Queen doesn't see the point of these visits unless she can meet some ordinary people as well.

"For her stay to be all pomp and protocol would not be a true reflection of the spirit of the Entente Cordiale, which is about friendship at all levels."

Royal security officers and British police officers have been working closely with their counterparts in France.