Queen Camilla exercised British royal protocol to the extreme when France's First Lady, Brigitte Macron, tried to grab her hand in an emotional moment, which the royal consort pulled away from. The "cringey" moment occurred during a ceremony honoring D-Day on Thursday, June 6, in Ver-Sur-Mer, France.
In Britain, it is forbidden for anyone to touch a member of the royal family without first asking, but many found the controversial Queen's action to be "cold."
"British 'protocol' loses precedence at the border. Camilla is a guest in another country," someone wrote on X.
"Well put," another replied. "When in France, do as the French do. I bet Camilla would have responded more positively if Brigitte Macron had offered her a Gauloise (French cigarette)." Queen Camilla was a long-term smoker for many years.
A third person stated: "That fact that Camilla couldn't stand there for two seconds in honor tells more than breaking protocol. I'm surprised that she would want to touch the cold, heartless, manipulating Camilla."
At the event, Brigitte attempted to hold the royal's hand following the wreath-laying ceremony at the British Normandy Memorial. Despite this gesture, Queen Camilla did not respond in kind and kept her arm by her side. Brigitte, after a brief touch, stepped aside and folded her arms in front of her. Subsequently, the two women stood in silence for a moment before reuniting with their spouses, King Charles III and President Emmanuel Macron.
Only subjects of the British sovereign, or those who reside in a Commonwealth Realm with the U.K. monarch as their head of state, are expected to follow protocol with the royals. Technically, this means that the French First Lady was not out of bounds when attempting to hold the Queen's hold. She, nor any French citizen, is also not expected to bow or curtsy to a British royal. Handshakes or even kisses on the cheek, if a royal knows a foreigner, are the order of the day.
Not all British royals strictly follow the protocol, with the late Queen Elizabeth II memorably allowing Former American First Lady Michelle Obama to touch her back in a 2009 meeting. Other times saw the longest-reigning monarch in British history looking visibly upset, such as when Former President Gerald Ford extended his hand to dance with Her late Majesty at the 1976 Bicenntineal celebrations in Washington, D.C.
This faux pas followed a moment when Queen Camilla showed off her "embarrassing" prowess at playing tennis — Princess Diana's rumored favorite sport — alongside the French First Lady on the second day of the British royal tour of France in September 2023.
Social media users were merciless in their assessment of Her Majesty's skills then, with one person stating: "Poor Queen Camilla." Another observed how both ladies "look too amateurish and childish. At this time of year, Madame Macron could have spotted a garden and talked about the plants."
People reported on Brigitte Macron's breach of protocol.
