Queen Camilla exercised British royal protocol to the extreme with France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron

Queen Camilla exercised British royal protocol to the extreme when France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron, tried to grab her hand in an emotional moment, which the royal consort pulled away from. The “cringey” moment occurred during a ceremony honoring D-Day on Thursday, June 6, in Ver-Sur-Mer, France.

In Britain, it is forbidden for anyone to touch a member of the royal family without first asking, but many found the controversial Queen’s action to be “cold.”
British ‘protocol’ loses precedence at the border. Camilla is a guest in another country,” someone wrote on X.

“Well put,” another replied. “When in France, do as the French do. I bet Camilla would have responded more positively if Brigitte Macron had offered her a Gauloise (French cigarette).” Queen Camilla was a long-term smoker for many years.

A third person stated: “That fact that Camilla couldn’t stand there for two seconds in honor tells more than breaking protocol. I’m surprised that she would want to touch the cold, heartless, manipulating Camilla.”

At the event, Brigitte attempted to hold the royal’s hand following the wreath-laying ceremony at the British Normandy Memorial. Despite this gesture, Queen Camilla did not respond in kind and kept her arm by her side. Brigitte, after a brief touch, stepped aside and folded her arms in front of her. Subsequently, the two women stood in silence for a moment before reuniting with their spouses, King Charles III and President Emmanuel Macron.

Only subjects of the British sovereign, or those who reside in a Commonwealth Realm with the U.K. monarch as their head of state, are expected to follow protocol with the royals. Technically, this means that the French First Lady was not out of bounds when attempting to hold the Queen’s hold. She, nor any French citizen, is also not expected to bow or curtsy to a British royal. Handshakes or even kisses on the cheek, if a royal knows a foreigner, are the order of the day.