Camilla snubs Brigitte Macron at D-Day Anniversary, rejecting her gesture of warmth

[TallerSally]

Well, isn't this a funny one.

Foreign heads of state are under no obligation to respect protocols of foreign royalty, particularly in their own country.

Seems Camilla didn't get the memo:

"Queen Camilla, 76, and Brigitte, 71, had an awkward moment on June 6 during a service marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings in Normandy, France. As seen in a video shared to X by the Daily Mail, French President Emmanuel Macron's wife tried to hold the royal's hand after they laid wreaths at the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer. However, Queen Camilla didn't reciprocate, keeping her arm at her side. After briefly grasping the royal's hand, Brigitte stepped to the side and folded her arms in front of her.
Proper etiquette around interacting with the British royals has long been a highly discussed subject. The royal family's website, which has yet to be updated in full following the death of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022, states, "There are no obligatory codes of behavior when meeting The Queen or a member of the royal family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms."

Funnily enough, Charles himself didn't follow royal protocol:

"Proving that there are no hard and fast rules around how to say hello, King Charles, 75, greeted President Macron with a hug at the British Normandy Memorial and kissed his wife's hand."

I guess Camilla's more royal than the royals themselves?

https://people.com/queen-camilla-brigitte-macron-awkward-moment-royal-avoids-holding-hands-d-day-anniversary-event-france-8659266

Taller Sally
I guess Camilla's more royal than the royals themselves?

Whether some people like it or not, she is Queen. Harking back to her OW role is pointless. What her sexual history has to do with it, I don't know. President J F Kennedy was the most notorious womaniser but I wouldn't question his credentials to have been US President, or criticise his record based on his personal life. Anyway - the situation in the royal marriage nearly 40 years ago was...complicated, and I'm not going to judge anyone.

And she's basically a shy countrywoman who probably never foresaw this role. For my money she does it brilliantly - especially under the added stress of having a cancer-stricken husband, and all the upset created by drama King and Queen Harry and Meghan.

I think she does it with quiet, kind sincerity and takes a real interest in the 'ordinary people' (awful phrase - sorry) she meets. From what I see, read and hear people relate well to her and don't obsess about what happened nearly half a century ago.

I am with Camilla on that.

There is a well known instance where French President Francois Mitterrand geld hand with German Chancellor Helmut Kohl at a ceremony near Verdun but that was done to show reconciliation and the strength of French/German relationship.

Camilla probably missed that cue and followed protocol.

Frankly they did not need to hold hands like schoolgirls. I don't remember Queen Elizabeth going around holding hands with heads of state and their spouses...

No need to make a big deal of this.

'Funnily enough, Charles himself didn't follow royal protocol:

"Proving that there are no hard and fast rules around how to say hello, King Charles, 75, greeted President Macron with a hug at the British Normandy Memorial and kissed his wife's hand."'

Did he do these things while laying a wreath at a war memorial? No? Thought not.

Charles is HM, he can break protocol if he wants. Camilla clearly didn't want to or think this was the time and the place.

Just watched it - I thought Brigitte was incredibly awkward.
She made a pig's ear of laying her wreath, then sort of tottered towards Camilla, rather than walking back in a straight line, and start grasping at Camilla's hand.
That's really inappropriate.
I wondered if she hadn't quite got her balance after getting up. Her heels were quite high.
Obviously, I realise that's just my reading of it.

I have to agree with you. I was never particularly a Camilla fan but this woman turns up and does what is needed. She has done more of her fair share of the heavy lifting over the past few years. She seems to enjoy what she does and seems well received by the public at events. She is the female face of the Royal Family currently. I have gained a tremendous amount of respect for her. She is not there to show off herself. She is there for the attendees. She knows what the Royal Family is about.

I’m no fan of the royal family, nor of monarchies - but I think Camilla is doing a fabulous job. And she’s looking great lately too.

The more I think about it the more I think it was a deliberate move by Mrs Macron to divert media interest from the pig's ear she made of laying the wreath. She's sufficiently media savvy to know that a pic of them holding hands would be better than her fumbling with the wreath becoming a meme.

Isthisreasonable

The more I think about it the more I think it was a deliberate move by Mrs Macron to divert media interest from the pig's ear she made of laying the wreath.

That's a good thought.
I wondered if she'd had a bit of a head rush after bending down, mucking about with the wreath, for so long and was going to use her "warm gesture" as a means of supporting herself until her head stopped going around.
But you make an interesting point.

Morning shift clocking onto the board, I see.

She certainly has form for coldness towards sweeter persons.

No fan of C either.

You are right, I supposed it’s kind of stupid of me. It’s nothing to do with her, just because I adored Queen Elizabeth and it’s hard to think of anyone with that title. I’ll work it out. Anyway, Camilla is certainly earning her stripes and I admire her today.

Her husband is being treated for cancer. Of course she isn’t going to hold people’s hands.

How delightful @CoffeeCantata!

Also spot on with the rest.

Try reading the post:

"Proving that there are no hard and fast rules around how to say hello, King Charles, 75, greeted President Macron with a hug at the British Normandy Memorial and kissed his wife's hand."

Or did we all get confused, and Camilla's the one being treated for cancer?

That’s up to him. If my husband were being treated, I would avoid shaking/holding hands.

Keep digging yourself into that big big hole.

So why do YOU think Camilla didn’t take her hand?

Was King Charles laying a wreath at the time? @TallerSally

'lacking smartness or taste - I’ve always thought so and still do

: OLD-FASHIONED - yes her taste is old fashioned'

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion.

My opinion, to which I'm entitled, is that the Queen is a woman in her seventies, in a public role who dresses appropriately, and with decorum. She's not a clothes horse.

The weirdness is Mm Macron wanting to hold QC's hand - and the people making a big deal about QC preferring not to.

I agree. They are both the wives of the Heads of State of their respective countries, representing the nation in laying a wreath, which is generally considered a solemn occasion. Looking to hold hands while standing in acknowledgement after laying the wreath seems incongruously girlish, particularly when the only relationship between them is as spouses of Heads of State.

I don't take a lot of interest in the royals, but was surprised how warm they both seemed when chatting to people yesterday. I like Camilla as I don't think she gives a flying whatever what people think.
I'm sure the handholding incident was just one of those differences between the English and French. Press doing their usual ridiculous blowing out of proportion.

OP, if the story was that Sunak/ Starmer had done what Camilla did, many posters would see the point you're trying to make.

But because it's Camilla, objectivity and logic go out the window because they think you're attacking her.

Personally, I find it strange Camilla reacted that way, but hey, maybe she doesn't know the rules are relaxed.

The late Queen didn't flinch when Mrs Obama got physically close. And many of her fans, me included, also recognised that it was a faux pas on Mrs O's part.

But Camilla fans are very fragile, you see.

I'm no fan of the royal family, parasites the lot of them... But if I were there, and someone had gone for an non-consensual hand-grab, the headline would be 'French President's wife gets wreathed over the head at D-Day Ceremony'... 😄