As President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigette Macron continue their official state visit, body language expert Judi James has picked up on some telling signs from the pair, at a time when their marriage has come under intense scrutiny
As French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigette Macron disembarked their private jet near Windsor yesterday (June 8), those watching on couldn’t help but spot tension between the pair.
Now, a body language expert has offered her reading of the presidential couple as they continue on what marks the first state visit by an EU head of state since Brexit, picking up on the politician’s cheeky “wink” to Princess Kate, as well as his wife’s “dampened smile”.
Speaking exclusively with the Mirror, Judi James noted that while Monsieur Macron appeared “effervescent as a glass of French champagne, his wife’s body language would compare better to a glass of flat and tepid lemon squash”.
Indeed, the couple’s stark behavioural differences were evident from the moment they were warmly greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales at RAF Northolt. As Mr Macron, 47, descended the steps, he reached out a helping hand to Brigitte, 72, who appeared to snub the supportive gesture in favour of gripping the handrail.
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A momentarily awkward moment followed, with Mr Macron dropping his hand, before once again exuding plenty of classic French charm as he firmly shook the hand of Prince William, before moving on to an air kiss for Princess Kate’s hand.
It was then on to Windsor, where the dignitaries were officially welcomed by King Charles and Queen Camilla.
This was followed by a glittering state banquet at historic St George’s Hall, in Windsor Castle.
Attended by some 160 guests, the grand white tie dinner marked Kate’s first state banquet since November 2023, when South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee were honoured with a lavish reception at Buckingham Palace.
Fans of the Wales family were thrilled to see mum of three Kate looking as dazzling as ever, just one week after she opened up about the life-changing impact of her “rollercoaster” journey.
All eyes, of course, were also on the Macrons, who recently made headlines after being spotted in what appeared to be a heated argument during their official tour of Vietnam.
Remarking upon the Macrons’ state visit so far, Judi told us: “Macron has been all charm and smiles, winking at Kate during the banquet dinner and bending to kiss her hand on arrival like a true gallant.
“And his hosts have been equally fulsome in their displays, despite their obvious background circumstances, like their treatment and recovery from illness.
“Charles has rarely looked as chipper, chuckling and giggling in a state of fine good humour throughout the evening despite his cancer and despite suffering from one very bloodshot eye.
“William and Kate were tactile, flirty, loving and positively glowing, with Kate’s gleaming smile signalling what looked like genuine delight, exuding gracious charm despite her ongoing recovery from illness.”
However, while the regal hosts exuded positivity and cheer, Brigitte’s own body language appeared to stand out as far more “subdued”, with her “rigid” smiles standing out in an otherwise “relaxed and joyful” atmosphere.
This, of course, comes mere weeks after the première dame appeared to slap Mr Macron in the face, during an incident at Hanoi airport.
In footage taken back in late May, filmed by an Associated Press camera operator, Mr Macron’s profile is visible through the door of his official plane.
Seconds later, Brigette quickly raises a hand to his face, seemingly striking him. Looking stunned, Mr Macron then turned to wave to onlookers and media waiting outside, before they disembarked the craft.
Mr Macron has since denied that an altercation took place, telling reporters that they’d just been “joking around”.
Noting that this isn’t the first time footage of him has been misinterpreted, Mr Macron insisted people “have thought I shared a bag of cocaine, tussled with the Turkish president, now that I’m having a domestic dispute with my wife … None of this is true. Everyone needs to calm down.”
However, regardless of the story behind the footage, the video has undoubtedly sparked plenty of conversation about the Macrons’ marriage, which has long come under scrutiny on account of their sizeable age gap.
Remarking on Brigotte’s body language during the trip so far, Judi noted: “Brigitte, though, seemed to retain the shadow that has been hanging over her since she treated the world to her penchant for ‘Le visage-shove’.
“The shocking gesture put a spotlight on the Macron marriage, and her body language in the UK is doing little to erase that powerful memory.
“With her shoulders raised in a gesture of muscle tension and her hands both gripping her small bag in an equally tense ritual, Brigitte has had moments when her expression has become dour and unsmiling. When she has smiled, it has often looked rigid and a little forced.
“Riding in the carriage with Camilla, she seems to be observing the bystanders rather than greeting them. Her lips are closed, and she appears rather diffident and subdued.”
Judi continued: “After ignoring her husband’s proffered hand as she stepped from the plane, she did place one hand into the crook of his arm as they walked together, but her facial expression looks tense and dour here. Her chin is lowered, and her top lip appears pulled down in a lip clamp rather than being relaxed to form a mouth smile.
“Posing in her long blue gown, she has one hand escaping from the caped sleeve to hang awkwardly. Her facial expression could be called a smile, but it’s one that is unnecessarily tempered. The King and his family seem to be going out of their way to make the state visit a relaxed and joyful occasion with a relaxed, friendly and informal social tone despite the formal surroundings.
“So there is no need for Brigitte to pull the corners of her mouth down and keep her lips closed in this smile for the formal line-up. Her eyes seem to narrow in an eye-smile, but her mouth-puckering suggests she is actively toning her mouth smile down here.
“This is what is called a ‘dampened smile’, where the emotions are being hidden or kept in check when a wide social smile would have been much simpler and more effective.”
Today, Mr Macron blew the King and Queen a kiss as he bid an official farewell to them outside Windsor Castle, concluding the royal family’s involvement in the three-day state visit.
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