Humiliated Macron ignored by wife Brigitte as he arrives in the UK | World | News

Emmanuel Macron seemed to be ignored by his wife, Brigitte Macron, as the pair arrived in the UK for a state visit. The French president held a hand out to Mrs Macron as she walked down a set of stairs from the plane after it arrived at RAF Northolt in west London on Tuesday (July 7).

But Mrs Macron appeared to snub the offer, keeping hold of a stair rail and leaving her husband hanging. She did, however, smile at Mr Macron when she reached the ground. By then he had awkwardly dropped his hand before going on to kiss the hand of the Princess of Wales, who met the Macrons on the tarmac with Prince William.

The Macrons were later seen in a car waiting to depart the RAF base and it appeared the couple weren’t on the best terms.

Body language expert, Judi James, told the Express Brigitte appeared less inclined to show any displays of tactile behaviour with her husband.

She said: “This looked like a rather strange intentional gesture ritual from a woman who we last saw pushing her husband’s face with her hand as he waited to leave the plane in Vietnam.

“That gesture was so controversial and unpleasant to witness that there might have been an expectation of an increase in signals of adoration and affection from her since.

“Placing the offending hand in his in a ritual of unity might have been a small step but instead she appeared to ignore the act of public gallantry.”

Footage of the frosty exchanges at RAF Northolt came after a video emerged in May showing Mrs Macron appearing to push Mr Macron’s face away before they disembarked from a plane on arriving in Vietnam for another visit. Mr Macron shrugged off that incident, but French media seized on it at the time.

The Prince and Princess of Wales accompanied the Gallic guests to Windsor after meeting them on Tuesday morning and joining them for the 14-mile car journey.

King Charles and Queen Camilla rolled out the red carpet for the French President and his wife in Windsor. They warmly greeted the leader and first lady on a specially constructed Royal Dais near the town’s Windsor and Eton Riverside train station.

Mr Macron dished out French charm by taking Camilla’s hand and leaning forward to air kiss it, having earlier greeted the Princess of Wales at RAF Northolt with the same gesture.

Mrs Macron and the Queen exchanged kisses. Mr Macron stood chatting to the King with ease, placing his hand on the monarch’s back and giving it a few affectionate rubs.

Nearly 400 military personnel from the Army, RAF and Royal Navy lined the High Street along the ceremonial route and a 41-gun salute sounded in nearby Home Park in Mr Macron’s honour to mark his arrival.

Amid pomp and ceremony, military bands played both British and French music for the waiting crowds, and a Captain’s Escort of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, in their plumed helmets and shiny silver breastplates, and riding Irish chargers, formed a Guard of Honour.

The state visit is the first to the UK by an EU head of state since Brexit, and the first to be held at Windsor, rather than Buckingham Palace, for more than a decade, thanks to ongoing refurbishments at the London residence.

At a glittering state banquet in the castle’s vast medieval St George’s Hall on Tuesday evening, the King will stress the vital partnership between France and the UK in the face of a “multitude of complex threats,” declaring, “As friends and as allies, we face them together.”

He will highlight how “these challenges know no borders: no fortress can protect us against them this time”.

Mr Macron will address parliamentarians in the Palace of Westminster’s Royal Gallery in the afternoon and, on Thursday, join a UK-France Summit at Downing Street.