The 'most British of French resorts-James Bond was inspired by it, Winston Churchill was drawn to it, and the airport is soon to bear the late Queen Elizabeth II's name. However, this resort, while clearly British, isn't actually British. A small tourist destination with half-timbered homes and freestone facades sits on a bluff overlooking the English Channel. From the Art Deco Westminster Hotel to the lighthouse, which was illuminated with Her Majesty's favorite colors to commemorate the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, English can be heard everywhere. The city hall's bells ring like Big Ben, and it was recently revealed that the town's airport will soon be renamed Queen Elizabeth II. If you assumed that this location was in Britain, you wouldn't be the only one. The "most British of French resort towns," Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, is located on the French Opal Coast. According to town council member Kate Landry-Madden, French tourists frequently exclaim, "Oh, it's so English here!" Additionally, whenever the English visitors say, "Oh, le Touquet is so French,' I always think, 'Oh, it's so English! In other words, it's just this funny fusion of the best aspects of both worlds.When John Robinson Whitley, a linoleum tycoon from Leeds, bought the town in 1894, the roots that connect Le Touquet to the other shore really got going. A haven for affluent Parisians founded in 1837 quickly transformed into a haven for the British gentry, complete with tennis courts and horseback riding, all of which, according to Mayor Daniel Fasquelle, were "imagined to attract a British clientele." He added that the fact that the British prime minister officially opened the golf course at Le Touquet in 1904 was significant. Noel Coward, a playwright, and Winston Churchill were among the wealthy Brits who frequented Le Touquet after the Casino de la Forêt was finished in 1913. The baccarat tables were frequented by the future King Edward VIII, and this provided Ian Fleming with ideas for the first James Bond novel, Casino Royale. Even WriterPG Wodehouse resided here between 1934 and 1940 when the Wehrmacht interned him. Le Touquet has the most historical monument designations of any French seaside resort with 21, and some of its architectural heritage has survived World War Two. The third-largest airport in France at the time strengthened the relationship with Britain. Sean Connery's first James Bond contract was signed at the Westminster Hotel in 1962, and "Le Westminster's" sole suite is designated 007 in his honor. The town's golf courses, in Fasquelle's opinion, have consistently attracted British visitors. Fleming's Le Touquet residence was close to the 18th hole of La Forêt, the oldest of the three courses, though La Mer, which has hosted the French Open six times, is arguably the most well-known. A 33-court tennis club and an internationally renowned equestrian park only serve to attract more sports enthusiasts. The England rugby team will hold

1. Le Touquet: The 'most British of French resorts'
The 'most British of French resorts-James Bond was inspired by it, Winston Churchill was drawn to it, and
the airport is soon to bear the late Queen Elizabeth II's name. However, this resort, while clearly British, isn't
actually British.
A small tourist destination with half-timbered homes and freestone facades sits on a bluff
overlooking the English Channel. From the Art Deco Westminster Hotel to the lighthouse, which
was illuminated with Her Majesty's favorite colors to commemorate the late Queen Elizabeth II's
Platinum Jubilee, English can be heard everywhere. The city hall's bells ring like Big Ben, and it
was recently revealed that the town's airport will soon be renamed Queen Elizabeth II.
If you assumed that this location was in Britain, you wouldn't be the only one. The "most British
of French resort towns," Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, is located on the French Opal Coast.
According to town council member Kate Landry-Madden, French tourists frequently exclaim,
"Oh, it's so English here!" Additionally, whenever the English visitors say, "Oh, le Touquet is so
French,' I always think, 'Oh, it's so English! In other words, it's just this funny fusion of the best
aspects of both worlds.
When John Robinson Whitley, a linoleum tycoon from Leeds, bought the town in 1894, the roots
that connect Le Touquet to the other shore really got going. A haven for affluent Parisians
founded in 1837 quickly transformed into a haven for the British gentry, complete with tennis

2. courts and horseback riding, all of which, according to Mayor Daniel Fasquelle, were "imagined
to attract a British clientele."
He added that the fact that the British prime minister officially opened the golf course at Le
Touquet in 1904 was significant.
Noel Coward, a playwright, and Winston Churchill were among the wealthy Brits who frequented
Le Touquet after the Casino de la Forêt was finished in 1913. The baccarat tables were
frequented by the future King Edward VIII, and this provided Ian Fleming with ideas for the first
James Bond novel, Casino Royale. Even WriterPG Wodehouse resided here between 1934 and
1940 when the Wehrmacht interned him.
Le Touquet has the most historical monument designations of any French seaside resort with
21, and some of its architectural heritage has survived World War Two. The third-largest airport
in France at the time strengthened the relationship with Britain. Sean Connery's first James
Bond contract was signed at the Westminster Hotel in 1962, and "Le Westminster's" sole suite is
designated 007 in his honor.
The town's golf courses, in Fasquelle's opinion, have consistently attracted British visitors.
Fleming's Le Touquet residence was close to the 18th hole of La Forêt, the oldest of the three
courses, though La Mer, which has hosted the French Open six times, is arguably the most
well-known. A 33-court tennis club and an internationally renowned equestrian park only serve
to attract more sports enthusiasts. The England rugby team will hold its World Cup training
camp at Le Touquet this year as well.
The special relationship we have with the British is accompanied by some truly amazing stories,
according to Fasquelle. "That we want to rediscover in some ways, as well as reinforce," the
speaker said.
Locals do put a lot of effort into preserving this cherished connection these days. Eli Gifford is
one of them. His filmmaker parents, Nick and Judy Gifford, from London, founded Tea Together
25 years ago. It is an organic jam company that combines French and British inspiration for
flavors like cherry-tarragon or lemon-Earl Grey tea. Eli Gifford was raised in Le Touquet from the
age of seven.
According to Gifford, his hometown is distinctly British, with "lots of vintage cars and things like
that." It seems like everyone here is sort of living their idealized dream life, he said. When you
depart and head to, say, Paris or something, it is very strange.

3. While the town itself "isn't huge," according to Gifford, it does have a few establishments where
Britons can feel even more at home. These include Elizabeth's English Tea Room, which was
established and is run by Elizabeth Velissariou, and Le Globe Trotter, an English pub that was
started by a Frenchman named Olivier Dehaffreingue 26 years ago. Due to Dehaffreingue's
passion for British music and culture, he frequently invites English-language pop-rock cover
bands to perform at the pub. They also frequently show sports events on the big screen, such
as football, rugby, golf, and cricket, which helps to create a welcoming atmosphere for
Anglophone and Anglophile guests and locals.
Le Globe Trotter's food selections also have a British flair, including cheese boxes selected by
Arthur Duhamel of Les Petits Plaisirs Anglais (Little English Pleasures), a Le Touquet-based
importer of British goods that his French mother and British stepfather founded after learning
about Snowdonia's waxed cheddars a decade earlier. The company now operates as a
two-pronged enterprise, with the importing side joined by a fast-casual eatery called Croque's &
Pies that specializes in British pies and croque monsieurs with a British twist.
At Croque's & Pies, Duhamel says the majority of his customers are French, which is great.
Because if we weren't here, we wouldn't be.
In fact, the double whammy of COVID-19 and Brexit has drastically altered many aspects of the
small seaside town. At Croque's & Pies, Duhamel's previous adherence to a strict 100% British
sourcing policy has become intolerably stringent. Additionally, according to Fasquelle, the
percentage of British visitors to the city's hotels has significantly decreased from when she last
checked.

4. Fasquelle, however, still has hope. He declared, "We want to recover." "To demonstrate that,
despite Brexit, we can still have close ties with Great Britain."
Thus, the airport where Fleming once arrived with his Aston Martin in the hold has a new name.
This was the result of "quite a long process," according to Landry-Madden.
"I think that people think that you just say, 'Yeah, we want to change the name!'" she asserted.
The Royal Family must officially approve any use of their name, so no.
The town had to make a case for the change in its proposal to the British Embassy, which it
submitted just six days after Her Majesty's passing in September 2022. The nearly one year of
silence was seen by Landry-Madden as a subtle but resounding no.

5. A sudden announcement that King Charles had given his blessing came through. She
suggested that Fasquelle's persistence and frequent meetings with Dame Menna Rawlings, the
British ambassador to France, who had been invited to Le Touquet earlier this spring, were
perhaps to blame for this.
With the airport soon to be renamed Elizabeth II Le Touquet-Paris-Plage International Airport,
"We're sending a strong sign of friendship to Britain," claimed Fasquelle. "In my opinion," she
said.
Many locals also see it that way. "I think a lot of people felt kind of rejected," Landry-Madden
said in reference to Brexit. "So of course it's important for the British to know we still want them
to come to Le Touquet."
"Keeping that link is really important to us," she continued, "because British customers are really
important to us." "All those small gestures that make guests feel at home."

6. Others see it primarily as symbolic.
Duhamel stated, "I believe it's good for tourism." But it didn't really have much of an impact on
me. However, he has kept his restaurant's "little British connotation" by hanging a portrait of the
late Queen on the wall.
As a result of the town's long-standing ties to England and the Royal Family, Velissariou
asserted, "I believe naming the airport Queen Elizabeth II is in homage to our late queen." "I
can't really comment on whether or not this will draw in more English customers."
Locals believe that the city's additional efforts to strengthen this bond—including the regular
English translation of documents at art exhibits and the planning of yearly events like the Le
Touquet Music Beach concert, which attracted 50,000 visitors this summer—maybe even more
crucial. The King's coronation, according to Landry-Madden, was broadcast to a packed
auditorium on a huge screen with even more pomp and circumstance than the occasions she
attended back in Britain.
She recalled that during the coronation, Champagne was consumed by all in Le Touquet. "The
Royal Family was the subject of much excitement."

7. Brits are returning to Le Touquet after Covid and Brexit, much to the relief of neighborhood
business owners. But only a small portion of the subsequent joy at the status quo's return is
related to economics. Duhamel said, "There's this nice sort of side to English people coming
over and partying. "You can feel it right away when you're in a bar or a restaurant and they're
there."
At the end of the day, their presence contributes to the distinctive local character of Le Touquet.
The resort was built by and for the English, according to Duhamel. "You can't take it out of Le
Touquet's DNA."