Macron and wife Brigitte put on a united front

Daily Mail​

08-07-2025

Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte put on a united front during a meeting with Sir Keir Starmer following an awkward encounter earlier in the day.
The French President walked arm in arm with the First Lady as they took part in a wreath laying ceremony with the UK Prime Minister and his wife Victoria at the statue of Sir Winston Churchill.
Both leaders each laid a wreath at the base of the monument in Parliament Square before a British Army bugler played The Last Post.
They were heckled by a small pro-Gaza protest calling for an end to arms sales to Israel and the recognition of Palestine. Members of the public shushed the protesters following The Last Post.
The band of the Welsh Guards then played the national anthems of France and Britain before Sir Keir and Mr Macron departed to lay more wreaths by a statue of Charles De Gaulle.
Earlier in the day, President Macron laid another wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior alongside his wife inside Westminster Abbey.
The couple were joined by the Sub-Dean of Westminster Abbey, Reverend David Stanton, who led prayers in a moment of reflection.
Mr and Mrs Macron appeared to brush off any animosity following an icy interaction just moments after landing in the UK on Tuesday morning.
The French President was left red-faced after arriving at RAF Northolt in west London this morning, where the couple were welcomed by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
After President Macron disembarked the plane he extended a helping hand to the First Lady as she walked down the steps.
But Mrs Macron appeared to ignore the gesture and instead kept holding the handrail as she walked down, leaving her husband to awkwardly drop his hand.
And just seconds later, the French leader suffered another fumbling faux pas as he went to greet William and Kate, who had been patiently waiting on the runway.
He first embraced Prince William with a long handshake before turning to the Princess and offering her an unconventional kiss on the hand.
The gesture was made even more awkward as President Macron appeared to miss her hand entirely, instead giving her an 'air kiss' just above it.
Later on, the Macrons were seen in a car waiting to leave the base - and relations appeared frosty, with Mrs Macron looking at her phone after getting it out of her bag.
It comes after Mrs Macron sparked a storm in May when she was seen pushing her husband's face away with both hands before they disembarked a plane in Vietnam.
Later in the afternoon, the two couples were joined by King Charles and Queen Camilla as they enjoyed a carriage procession through Windsor.
The King and Mr Macron waved from the 1902 State Landau to crowds gathered on the streets, followed by Camilla and Mrs Macron in the Semi-State Landau.
The French President then travelled to London to see the Grave of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey.
The tomb is the resting place of an unidentified British soldier who died in the First World War and was brought back to London.
He was buried on Armistice Day in 2020, two years after the war ended, and his grave contains soil from France.
The tomb also serves as a poignant memorial to all the WW1 soldiers who died but were not buried in any known grave.
Over the years it has become a tradition for Royal brides to place bouquets of flowers on the grave as an act of remembrance for fallen servicemen.
This tradition was started by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, in 1923 and upheld by her daughter Queen Elizabeth II and the Princess of Wales.
Reverend David Stanton reads a prayer as President Macron and his wife take part in the wreath laying ceremony
Before his meeting with Sir Keir, Macron delivered a historic address to Westminster politicians, where he said that illegal immigration was a 'burden' on both countries.
He said he would work with the PM – who he referred to as 'dear Keir' – on preventing people from crossing the Channel.
But he pointed out that those trying to cross to Britain made up a third of all migrants entering the EU's Shengen free movement area and called for continent–wide moves to stop the flow.
In a wide-ranging speech he also said that Brexit had been 'regrettable', though he respected Britain's decision to leave.
He also reiterated his desire for a Palestinian state to be recognised, and urged Europe to loosen its ties with both China and the United States.
President Macron and Sir Keir then travelled by car from the Palace of Westminster to the statue in Parliament Square, where they laid two wreaths by Churchill's statue.
They also laid more wreaths by a statue of Charles De Gaulle, where they were joined by veterans of the First World War.