The relationship between the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, and his wife, Brigitte Macron, is once again at the center of public conversation, after cameras captured an awkward moment during their official arrival in the United Kingdom.
While the president offered his hand to help her down from the plane, Brigitte rejected it outright and preferred to hold onto the railing. The scene was interpreted as a sign of coldness in the couple and sparked headlines such as “humiliation” and “rejection” in international media.
The Daily Mail, one of the first to spread the images, titled: “This is the humiliating moment Macron is ignored by his wife”. The portal detailed how Brigitte, instead of taking the hand of the French president, continued on her way to the Prince of Wales, William and Kate, who were waiting for them on behalf of King Charles III.
This episode revives a previous scene that had already generated controversy: the alleged slap that Brigitte gave Macron during a trip to Vietnam, which was also captured by cameras. At that time, the president tried to downplay what happened by saying that they were “joking”.
A high-profile visit marked by awkward gestures
Macron is in the United Kingdom as part of a three-day state visit, where he is seeking to strengthen bilateral cooperation following Brexit. This is the first official visit by a French president since 2008 and comes at a crucial moment for relations between Paris and London.
The president was received by Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton at the Northolt military base, west of London, before heading to Windsor Castle, where a State dinner will be held with King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
During the event, the king will highlight the importance of cooperation between both countries in the face of global threats such as the war in Ukraine and illegal immigration. On the French side, the government speaks of a “reconvergence” with the United Kingdom, driven by common interests and the political change brought by Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer.