It’s relatively rare when world leaders come together. Once they do, people can’t help but be curious about their interactions. After all, what do the most powerful people in the world even do when they get the rare opportunity to hang out?
Back in June, Brigitte Macron (wife of French President Emmanuel Macron) and Queen Camilla (wife of King Charles) came together to celebrate an important World War II anniversary. They were supposed to highlight the unity between France and England, but one awkward moment seemed like it drove a major wedge between these two national allies.
What was the historic event bringing these women together? And just who was responsible for things getting so weird between these two women? Keep reading to find out!
Coming together for a historic occasion
It wasn’t just any event that brought Brigitte Macron and Queen Camilla together. Back in June, they gathered at Omaha Beach to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Allies landing in Normandy. This historic event is widely seen as the beginning of the end of World War II as Allied forces began an invasion that would lead them right to Hitler’s Germany.
These famous ladies’ spouses, Emmanuel Macron and King Charles, were both in attendance for this major celebration. But it was the two women who got singled out for a very important honor. That honor was meant to bring everyone closer together…sadly, though, it seemingly accomplished the complete opposite of this goal.
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The moment that brought Brigitte Macron and Queen Camilla together
Brigitte Macron and Queen Camilla showing up at Omaha Beach was a symbolic gesture, one showing that the ties forged during the days of World War II are still just as strong today as they were decades ago. However, it wasn’t the only symbolic gesture of the day, and these two women were in charge of one of the most important events of the day.
Specifically, Macron and Camilla were in charge of laying down some flowers symbolizing the Allies making their landing. As part of the symbolism, they laid these flowers down at the same time. It didn’t seem like much could go wrong here, but a tiny controversy started thanks to the most unexpected cause: an act of kindness.
A humanizing moment
As noted above, Brigitte Macron and Queen Camilla were in charge of laying down flowers to symbolize the Allies landing at Normandy. And the further layer of symbolism was to showcase the close relationship between England and France. During the ceremony, Macron ended up showing just how much she cares about her English counterpart.
Because the whole thing was captured on video, we can see the moment that Macron reached her hand out to Camilla. She was likely hoping to hold the woman’s hand in an obvious act of friendship and devotion. However, Camilla’s response immediately dashed those hopes.
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Camilla’s response left Brigitte Macron cold
So, there Brigitte Macron is, holding her hand out to Camilla. It was the ultimate gesture of friendship and unity. Everyone watching had every reason to believe the Queen would grab the other woman’s hand and return the gesture.
However, that didn’t happen. In fact, nothing really happened at all, as Camilla seemed to completely ignore the gesture and looked indifferent to Macron’s efforts. Many who later watched a video of this event thought that Camilla was being rude and coldhearted. Others, however, claim that she is simply following the royal protocols of her home country.
A breach of royal protocol?
If you don’t already know, being a member of the Royal Family isn’t all fun and games. Sure, these are people who are born or married into a life of immense fame, wealth, and luxury. But their lives are also defined by very strict rules and protocols determining everything from what they say to what they wear.
What does that have to do with the weird moment between Brigitte Macron and Queen Camilla? While it’s not an explicit rule, it is generally considered a breach of protocol to try to make physical contact with a member of the Royal Family unless they ask you to do so. Macron’s act was almost certainly one of kindness, but Camilla’s reaction highlights what a breach of etiquette and protocol it really was.
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The internet goes wild in response to Brigitte Macron’s gesture
As you can see, Brigitte Macron had a perfectly kind motivation for trying to hold Camilla’s hand. The Queen, in turn, had a perfectly logical reason for ignoring the gesture. However, that didn’t keep people online from having a field day commenting on these events.
Many who commented online thought Camilla was overly cold to Macron. That’s not surprising, really, as many still hold a grudge against Camilla for breaking up King Charles and Princess Diana. Other commenters embraced the spirit of the event, however, by discussing how sweet Macron’s gesture was. The general consensus seemed to be that offering kindness is always important regardless of whether the other person accepts your offer.
And in a world of fighting and mistrust, wouldn’t you rather be the one trying to make kind gestures than the one turning them away?