The wives of French President Emmanuel Macron and King Charles III shared an awkward moment Thursday while visiting the D-Day Memorial in Normandy, France on Thursday.
After laying wreaths at the base of the monument to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Brigitte Macron could be seen repeatedly and unsuccessfully reaching for Queen Camilla’s hand as they both backed away from the memorial, the Daily Mail reported.
Macron may have meant for the two women to join hands in a show of unity as they paid respects during a solemn moment. They were among the world leaders and dignitaries honoring the Allied forces of World War II, who stormed the beaches of Normandy and risked their lives in a surprise invasion that ultimately led to the liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe and the end of the war just over a year later.
But Camilla’s quiet rejection of Macron’s hand-holding made it clear that the French president’s wife wrongly assumed a bond of affection that the British king’s wife didn’t share.
It could also be a situation of Macron coming from a culture whose people are known to be tactile and who like showing affection for others through physical touch. The British, on the other hand, are famously reserved. That’s especially true of British royalty.
The Daily Mail reported that Macron’s attempt to hold Camilla’s hand — however well-intentioned — could constitute a breach of protocol. “Getting tactile with members of the royal family is always a thorny issue,” the Daily Mail said.
According to the royal family’s website there are “no obligatory codes of behavior” when meeting the queen or another member of the royal family, but there’s an unwritten rule that you shouldn’t go beyond a handshake. Perhaps, there’s also an issue with Macron not wearing gloves, while Camilla’s were covered. The Daily Beast said the appropriate thing to do is to usually wait until the royal initiates contact.
Alas, Macron didn’t immediately get the hint as Camilla kept her hands firmly at her sides, making it clear she had no intention of initiating physical contact. But Macron persisted in grabbing for Camilla’s hand. Camilla, in turn, resisted and kept her hands at her sides, leaving Macron to finally get the message. She gave Camilla’s hand a slight squeeze then dropped it, and the two women then stood somewhat awkwardly side by side with their heads bowed, not touching.