France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron has raised eyebrows after accidentally making a major royal faux pas while meeting with Queen Camilla in Normandy for D-Day commemorations.
US President Joe Biden has been mocked online after appearing to make a series of gaffes during the D-Day anniversary in Normandy on Thursday.
During the event, Biden seemed unsure whether to stand or sit, awkwardly half-squatting as he searched for a chair.
First Lady Jill Biden, with her hand over her mouth, appeared to be mouthing words of guidance to him.
Jill Biden later led him away while French President Emmanuel Macron stayed to greet veterans, some over 100 years old.
“The vets look more with it than Biden,” one user wrote on X.
Camilla, 76, was with Macron, 71, for an event marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy alongside their husbands King Charles, 75, and President Emmanuel Macron, 46.
The Queen looked stylish in a white midi dress by English designer Anna Valentine with detailing on the lapels of the collar and running down the sides of her long sleeves.
Ms Valentine is a favourite couturier of Camilla and earlier created her off-white wedding dress for her marriage to Charles in 2005.
Meanwhile, Brigitte fashioned a long-sleeve white coat dress with large exposed buttons and a defined belted waist and carried a small trunk-shaped clutch bag by Louis Vuitton.
The two women were photographed laying wreaths to commemorate the fallen soldiers when the glamorous wife of French President Emmanuel Macron reached out for Camilla’s hand.
At first the Queen subtly dodged the move, but an oblivious Brigitte reached for her hand again and held it for a moment before suddenly letting go.
While footage of the moment was promptly shared across social media, the fumbled hand gesture did not appear in an official video that was later released on the British royal family’s social media channels.
Adding to the confusion about protocol, Charles also kissed Brigitte on the hand. Picture by Chris Jackson/Getty Images.
Traditionally, royals do not hold hands with dignitaries during official visits in favour of a traditional handshake.
“There are no obligatory codes of behavior when meeting The Queen or a member of the royal family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms,” a guide on the royal family website explained.
The site defines this as a slight neck bow from the head for men and a small curtsy for women, “although a handshake is also acceptable.”
Perhaps adding to Brigitte’s confusion, Charles, 75, greeted President Macron with a hug at the British Normandy Memorial and kissed his wife’s hand, which was a far more informal approach than the reign of his late mother Queen Elizabeth II.