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

"A huge history" of the spouses of Heads of State holding hands at solemn events?

Really? Any examples?

Nobody has to hold hands with someone if they prefer not to. Especially when that person is not a close friend and it's a formal work event.

Ooohhh we’ve got an angry one!

This is what MMe Macron was going for presumably https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/societe/le-22-septembre-1984-francois-mitterrand-et-helmut-kohl-main-dans-la-main-a-verdun-un-geste-iconique-1568975157

This is ALL over the news, folks, wake up!

It does rather make it sound like France has declared war on us because of some major incident ("The War of Brigitte's Hand" Vs "The War of Jenkin's Ear", perhaps) rather than there being a couple of awkward seconds during which Camilla and Brigitte weren't quite coordinated.
Didn't notice it in the Times' coverage but at least it was ALL over this thread.

No manners because they were late that day and a previous one.

I'm not commenting on the interaction with the Queen.

What pisses me off so much is that these people live a life of absolute luxury in exchange for supposedly representing the UK abroad, yet they are not even clued up on the symbolism of such a gesture in the UK's closest neighbour. I mean, the least they could do is their bloody homework in exchange for the multiple palaces and gold carriages.

Is Madame Macron the Head of State of a country which was not so long ago at war with the country of the Head of State with whom she wished to hold hands?

AuxArmesCitoyens · Today 15:18
Fuck Camilla for being so rude,

Blimey - that's a bit out of proportion - it was 'something and nothing'. Sounds like you want to dust off the guillotine, Citoyen!

But some people on here are determined to blow it up into an international incident. What's their agenda, I wonder?

How will their children be less ignorant? They'll be wittering the same nonsense in 40 years time. They enjoy pretending not to understand so that they can deify Diana and put the boot in on Camilla.

Queen Elizabeth was a queen consort.
Her daughter was a queen regnant.
Her daughter-in-law is a queen consort.

Again, when have the spouses of French presidents gone around holding hands with members of the British royal family, or indeed anyone else, at such ceremonies?

Given that these events are normally orchestrated down to the last detail, shouldn't Madame Macron have cleared it with the Queen's office in advance? Instead of grabbing for her hand like a teenager who wants to show how popular they are?

That’s not really a huge history is it? Also that was symbolic because it was showing reconciliation between France and Germany who were enemies during 2 world wars. Not quite the same as two allies laying a wreath. So your expletive laden post wasn’t quite hitting the mark. And mme Macron trying to recreate the gesture was a bit weird because she is not the president is she?

Also, on a serious point...

Verdun was an absolute slaughterhouse for the French particularly in a war of aggression by Germany. It was an entirely different situation - the 2 countries had been bitter enemies.

France and Britain were allies, and Britain, along with the US and Canada, helped liberate occupied France. There was no need for a 'gesture of reconciliation' between the Queen and Mme Macron - we were allies, fgs.

Some bonkers ideas on here...

Yes. Who voted for Madame Macron?

Well, the high French lords did come over in a flutter of flags and dames in 1066 so some may feel a festering need to lob any old ammunition at the French.

Not while you are doing the wreath laying. There’s no tradition of holding hands or making it all about you in that most solemn moment.

In which case, it should have been King Charles and President Macron holding hands. Not their wives.

No-other national representatives held hands when laying wreaths at the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, did they?

Such ignorance.

That poster has to live up to the aggression implicit in their user name.. Although there's a lot of unintentional irony in swearing at someone for being rude 🙄

'Fuck Camilla for being so rude, and fuck her for not realising that there's a huge history of holding hands at these events to demonstrate international solidarity and friendship'

Didn't see the King and President Biden holding hands (or anyone else laying a wreath), so your comment is just plain, old-fashioned, ugly misogyny. Quelle bloomin' surprise.

What is ‘WTF???’ about having different levels of acceptable physical contact for different people?

That poster is not so much scraping the barrel as turning it over so they can dig underneath for dirt. Such a shame that they are so ignorant that what yesterday was really about has gone whooshing over their head. Not that they appear to be alone in that.

And if the only examples of hand holding that can be found are 40 year old ones of World War/Cold War foes, and heads of state as opposed to their wives, then what "huge historical" precedent has Camilla broken, exactly?

That poster is not so much scraping the barrel as turning it over so they can dig underneath for dirt. Such a shame that they are so ignorant that what yesterday was really about has gone whooshing over their head. Not that they appear to be alone in that.

Truly embarrassing isn't it?

They've well and truly shown their hand.

That poster has form for any little thing they can scrape up and blow up to make the RF look bad. It used to be William, looks like it's now Camilla. I'd suggest a hobby, but I reckon this is their hobby.

Sad, but there you go.

Agree, I'm no fan of Camilla but on a different day, with different women, the online discourse would be all about how awful it is to try and hold someone's hand without their consent