alternatehistory.com

By 1970 France seriously considered buying one of the Hermes commando carrier to replace the Arromanches. While the deal fell through in 1975, the French Navy still though a successor to the cheap and versatile Arromanches, tentatively called the PH-75 with the F67 frigates machinery. Then come Emmo Zumwalt concept ofa Sea Control Ship with Harriers for strike and limited air cover. Spain and Italy were very interested, too. France went as far as flight testing a Harrier prototype on Foch, Arromanches and even Jeanne d'Arc.
The French included the Harrier in their list of strike aircraft to replace the Etendard IVs, a list that included A-7s, A-4s, Jaguar M, and a naval Mirage F1, plus a much upgraded Etendard.

France come so close to buy Hermes that the Harrier was finally chosen over the other options, Dassault eventually bowing to the pressure. The French government threatened to have their public aerospace company, Toulouse Aerospatiale, building Harriers under licence, breaking Dassault monopoly over military combat aircrafts, and Dassault threw the towel. As a reward, Harrier production was split between Dassault and Aerospatiale.

The so-called big Wing Harrier was rescued by the French with modest subcontracting job being handled to Spain and Italy aersopace industries, since these countries navies wanted Harrier carriers, too. The 20 000 tons ship was kickly rebranded "Eurocarrier".
While France finally cancelled their order, Italy and Spain bought one each. The RN wanted a couple of ships to replace their Centaurs, but Thatcher vetoed the idea.

France nonetheless bought 71 Harrier II that flew out of Foch and Clemenceau. The Harrier brought a major advantage: it didn't needed the catapults, which aged badly, breaking down more and more frequently as the French carriers aged in the late 80's. The success of the Harrier had lasting consequence for the French Aeronavale, somewhat derailing their plan of a nuclear powered Clemenceau.