According to history, the first instance of warm diplomatic relations between the French and British dates back to two thousand years ago, when the regions of modern France and the United Kingdom were ruled by the Romans. The foreign relations of France with the United Kingdom had been warm and cold periodically, depending on the political situations in their respective states. The relations depended also on the power struggles on the European continent. The first instance of the relations going badly between the French and British were during the eleventh century, when the Normans from France invaded England and fought against the English in the Battle of Hastings. It was a decisive battle after which the Norman king took control of England.

The relations between France and England worsened with time. By the fourteenth century, the relations became so sour that for the next hundred years, there were several battles fought between the two states with a common aim of widening their territory. This period is also called, “The Hundred Years War.” The significant outcome of this period was that there was intense political unification with in the two countries and a new sense of self respect for their culture grew among their rulers. Further, in the seventeenth century, there were constant fights between the two states due to the English strategy of maintaining the balance of power in Europe, and avoiding situations where any state became a supreme power. This was mainly seen during the rule of King Louis IX in France when France was on a verge of becoming a super power in Europe.

After England, Scotland and Wales united to form Great Britain in the following century, the wars between France and Great Britain did not come to a halt. The War of Spanish Succession and later the War of Austrian Succession were fought by the British and French following the old strategy of maintaining power balance in Europe. From the nineteenth century onward, the French British fought with each other to gain territories outside Europe up to Asia. Diromg the twentieth century, there were situations when both the countries felt a need to build friendly relations with each other in order to gain stability and promote economical growth. In the following years, there was an exchange of cultures between the French and British. This led to a change where several French started learning the English language while numerous British learned the French language.

The foreign relations of France with the United Kingdom have improved dramatically, mainly after the election of Nicholas Sarkozy as the President of France. Sarkozy believes that the two countries having warm relations is a primary necessity for various developments in Europe, and this stance is reflected in his policy.