King Charles and Queen Camilla warmly greeted the French President and First Lady today at a D-Day ceremony in sunny Normandy – with beaming smiles and even a shared kiss in a touching show of friendship between the couples.
The monarch planted a friendly kiss on the hand of Brigitte Macron – who seemed delighted to receive such a warm welcome from the royal family.
Emmanuel Macron also put on a charming display as he squeezed the hand of Queen Camilla, who placed her other gloved hand on his shoulder as they embraced.
Meanwhile, the reunion between the French head of state and His Majesty – who last met in September during Charles’ state visit to France – evoked the ‘bromance’ label attached to them during their previous meeting.
Photos show the two men laughing together as they shared a joke before the more somber elements of the service got underway.
The warm welcome came despite the King and Queen being kept waiting by Mr and Mrs Macron, who were 20 minutes late for the memorial ceremony.
King Charles planted a friendly kiss on Brigitte Macron’s hand ahead of the commemoration event to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day
President Macron also put on a charming display when he squeezed Queen Camilla’s hand
The monarch warmly greeted the French First Lady today in sunny Normandy, ahead of the event
His Majesty and President Macron chuckled as they chatted before the ceremony began
The reunion between Macron and the king – who last met in September during Charles’ state visit to France – evoked the ‘bromance’ label attached to them during their previous meeting
The King and Macron started to catch up as Camilla and Brigitte were animated as they talked and walked together
The royals were clearly pleased to see the couple when they arrived – with their tactile greetings eschewing the traditional handshakes and bows of Their Majesties.
The King and Macron started to catch up as Camilla and Brigitte were animated as they talked and walked together.
The two women, who both wore white dresses and had striking blond hair, looked stunning as they spoke to World War II veterans on site.
They went to lay a wreath together at the memorial in Ver-sur-Mer, where Camilla seemed more reluctant to take Brigitte’s hand as she paused for a moment of reflection.
After appearing to give the royal family’s hand a small squeeze, Mrs. Macron dropped it and the two stood side by side in front of the monument.
In one of the many light-hearted moments that punctuated the emotional day, the group chatted with an excited young girl.
President Macron was seen taking a photo of the King and Queen with the young fan, who was wearing a poppy as she smiled at the camera.
President Macron was seen taking a photo of the King and Queen with a young fan
King Charles III, Queen Camilla and Brigitte Macron met young well-wishers during the commemoration event of the British Ministry of Defense and the Royal British Legion
Queen Camilla is seen with President Macron as leaders gather in Normandy to commemorate D-Day
President Macron put a supportive arm around his wife as they joined King Charles and Camilla at the commemoration
The Royals previously waited for Mr and Mrs Macron ahead of the 80th anniversary event at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer.
King Charles and Queen Camilla made no comment on the behavior of Macron, who was accompanied by his wife Brigitte Macron.
But the French media noticed what happened, and it was widely reported.
Cnews, the TV news channel, wrote: “While the King and Queen of England had already been installed, Emmanuel Macron and his wife arrived 20 minutes late for the Franco-British ceremony, shocking the English.”
On Tuesday, Macron was almost an hour late when he showed up at the first D-Day commemoration in Plumelec, Brittany.
There was no immediate comment from the Élysee Palace about the president’s tardiness.
After placing their flowers at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer, the First Lady contacted the Queen, but Camilla seemed somewhat reluctant to offer her gloved hand.
The Queen, King Charles, President Macron and his wife Brigitte attend the British Ministry of Defense and Royal British Legion’s 80th anniversary commemoration ceremony
Macron listened intently as the king spoke to him during the landmark event
The group chatted with each other during the memorial event in Normandy
At today’s event, King Charles and Queen Camilla led attendees in a moving silent prayer to remember the fallen soldiers of World War II.
At one point, Queen Camilla was presented with a white rose by a veteran out of respect, with Her Majesty spotting the tender gift in her hand as she spoke to the former soldiers.
Elsewhere, Prince William was pictured at Juno Beach, where hundreds of Canadian troops lost their lives, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The meetings came ahead of an international meeting between leaders of allied nations, including US President Joe Biden.