Brigitte Macron breaks royal protocol during meeting with Queen Camila

French President Emmanuel Macron’s wife Brigitte Macron accidentally broke royal protocol when she tried to hold Queen Camilla’s hand during a memorial service in France.

(L-R) Queen Camilla, King Charles III, President of France, Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron attend the UK Ministry of Defence and the Royal British Legion’s commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 06, 2024 in Ver-Sur-Mer, France.

On June 6, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron made a move to hold Queen Camilla’s hand during a service to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings in Normandy, France. After laying wreaths at the a memorial, Brigitte reached for Camilla as they back away to pay their respects.

However, the British royal — who was joined by her husband King Charles III at the event — seemingly did not reciprocate the gesture and kept her hands by her side, leading to an awkward as Brigitte held grasped the 76-year-old’s palm quickly before letting go. As seen in video published by the Daily Mail, the two then bowed their heads in silence before walking back to their respective husbands.

On the other hand, Charles had a more casual approach to etiquette during the meeting. In fact, the 75-year-old greeted Brigitte, 71, with a kiss on the hand when they first came face-to-face at the memorial.

King Charles III’s Road to the Throne

For what it’s worth, there are “no obligatory codes of behavior” for meeting British royalty, according to the royal family’s website. However, many do observe what the site called “traditional forms” for greeting, such as a handshake or a neck bow for men and a small curtsy for women.