While disembarking their plane to greet the Prince and Princess of Wales for the French state visit of the UK, the French president’s wife appeared to ignore her husband, just weeks after footage of physical altercation went viral
French president Emmanuel Macron was brutally ignored by his wife as the couple disembarked their plane as they arrived in the UK to begin their three-day state visiT today. The French leader and his wife Brigette landed in a private jet at the RAF Northolt near Windsor on this morning, where they were greeted by Prince William and Princess Kate.
While Macron’s wife Brigette walked down the steps of the plane, the French president held out a hand of assistance to his wife. But Brigitte snubbed the helping hand, instead opting to use the handrail to steady herself as she descended the stairs to greet the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Macron awkwardly dropped his hand after being snubbed by his wife, as he turned to greet the royal couple and air kissed Kate’s hand in an affectionate gesture.
As Macron and Brigette sat in their car to begin their journey to Windsor, the couple seemed frosty as Macron busied himself with paperwork while Brigette took her phone out of her handbag.
The tense encounter comes just weeks after Brigette appeared to slap Macron in the face during a heated argument on an official tour in Vietnam. In footage at Hanoi airport when the couple arrived in late May, Macron’s profile can be seen through the door of his official plane.
Seconds later, his wife Brigette quickly raised a hand to his face, and appeared to strike him. The French president looked stunned and turned to wave to onlookers and media outside, before the couple began to walk down the staircase.
Macron then attemptted to hold her hand in support yet again, but she chose not to take it, and instead held onto the handrail of the walkway.
A source close to Macron speaking to French news channel BFMTV dismissed the incident as simply a married couple “bickering”, before adding: “It was a moment for the President and his wife to unwind one last time before the start of the trip by having a little fun.”
Emmanuel Macron and his wife are in the UK for a three-day state visit, and have met with King Charles and Queen Camilla for an official welcome on a Royal Dais constructed on Datchet Road in Windsor town centre, with the castle in the backdrop as gun salutes sound in nearby Home Park.
The King, the Queen, the Waleses and Mr and Mrs Macron then took a carriage procession through Windsor and along part of the Long Walk which leads to the castle, just as former French president Nicolas Sarkozy did in 2008.
A ceremonial welcome will be staged in the castle’s quadrangle with Camilla, William, Kate and Mrs Macron watching as the King and Mr Macron inspect the Guard of Honour.
Lunch will be hosted in the State Dining Room, after which the president and his wife, the King and Queen and members of the royal family will view a special exhibition of items relating to France from the Royal Collection in the Green Drawing Room.
The King and president will both deliver speeches at the state banquet this evening in the medieval St George’s Hall, where some 160 guests will be seated at the elaborately decorated 50 metre table, which will run the full length of the vast room. Kensington Palace has yet to confirm whether Kate will attend the banquet.