There’s a minor scandal brewing over in Royal Protocol Isle. The Prince and Princess of Wales were sent to the airport to greet Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron on the tarmac. It was a formal greeting, all done according to generally established state-visit guidelines. When President Macron greeted Kate, he bowed and kissed her hand. Scandale!
Kate Middleton and Prince William had the diplomatic honor of welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, to the U.K. at the start of his state visit. But when Macron greeted the Princess of Wales with a kiss on the hand — a rare gesture for Kate — did he break royal protocol?
The answer is no. While the gesture was undeniably charming and distinctly French, it did not breach any formal rules. The royal family’s official website explains that there are no strict codes of conduct for meeting royals, only suggested traditional courtesies.
“For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way,” the website states.
Macron’s hand kiss was a warm, personal touch that echoes gestures made by King Charles himself. In fact, the monarch was seen greeting the first lady with the same gesture.
It’s somewhat uncommon for Kate to receive a kiss on the hand, especially in public settings. While hand-kissing is a traditional gesture of respect and admiration, it is rarely observed in modern royal engagements. The practice has largely been replaced by handshakes or cheek kisses in many European courts.
You know who’s always been big on kissing a woman’s hand? King Charles. He does it frequently when greeting royal women (especially queens) and heads of state or their spouses. I think he greeted Brigitte Macron with a hand-kiss as well today. Anyway, I think Pres. Macron was simply showing respect with a little bit of European flair, and no, it does not matter protocol-wise. Technically, the Macrons don’t have to bow or scrape or curtsy or anything – they’re French. They’re just showing good manners. Frankly, I don’t think William and Kate have good manners whatsoever, so I get why people are asking.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images, Getty.
-
- Catherine Princess of Wales and Prince William sit in the Ascot Landau carriage during the Carriage Procession in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle French President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron Ceremonial Welcome and Inspection of the Guard of Honour, Windsor Castle, UK – 08 Jul 2025,Image: 1019675283, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Victoria Jones/Shutterstock/Avalon
-
- WINDSOR, ENGLAND – JULY 08: Catherine, Princess of Wales awaits the arrival of President Emmanuel Macron and Mrs Brigitte Macron on July 08, 2025 in Windsor, England. President Emmanuel Macron and Mrs Brigitte Macron visit the UK in the first visit State Visit made by France in 17 years. They are staying at Windsor Castle, hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, and a banquet will be held there in their honour. The Macrons will visit Imperial College, and the President will address Parliament during his stay.,Image: 1019675538, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Chris Jackson/Avalon
-
- Catherine Princess of Wales and Prince William sit in the Ascot Landau carriage during the Carriage Procession in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle French President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron Ceremonial Welcome and Inspection of the Guard of Honour, Windsor Castle, UK – 08 Jul 2025,Image: 1019675609, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Victoria Jones/Shutterstock/Avalon
-
- ROTA: The Prince and Princess of Wales meet The President of the French Republic and Mrs Macron MccLi0014689,Image: 1019676232, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Geoff Pugh/Avalon
-
- WINDSOR, ENGLAND – JULY 08: Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales await the arrival of President Emmanuel Macron and Mrs Brigitte Macron on July 08, 2025 in Windsor, England. President Emmanuel Macron and Mrs Brigitte Macron visit the UK in the first visit State Visit made by France in 17 years. They are staying at Windsor Castle, hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla, and a banquet will be held there in their honour. The Macrons will visit Imperial College, and the President will address Parliament during his stay.,Image: 1019677104, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Chris Jackson/Avalon
-
- The Prince and Princess of Wales arrive to greet the President of France Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron at RAF Northolt, north London, on day one of the French President’s state visit to the UK. Featuring: William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 07 Jul 2025 Credit: Justin Tallis/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
-
- The Prince and Princess of Wales leave by car after greeting the President of France Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron at RAF Northolt, north west London, on day one of the French President’s state visit to the UK. Featuring: William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 07 Jul 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
-
- The President of France Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron are welcomed by the Prince and Princess of Wales at RAF Northolt, north London, on day one of the French President’s state visit to the UK. Featuring: President of France Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron are welcomed by the William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: United Kingdom When: 08 Jul 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
-
- The President of France Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron are welcomed by the Prince and Princess of Wales at RAF Northolt, north London, on day one of the French President’s state visit to the UK. Featuring: President of France Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron are welcomed by the William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: United Kingdom When: 08 Jul 2025 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
-
- The King and Queen receive The President and Mrs. Macron at Datchet Road, Windsor Featuring: William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Windsor, United Kingdom When: 08 Jul 2025 Credit: Cover Images
-
- The King and Queen receive The President and Mrs. Macron at Datchet Road, Windsor Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Windsor, United Kingdom When: 08 Jul 2025 Credit: Cover Images
The Wriggling Wiglets have taken on a life of their own. What a mess.
Yes. When he leans over to kiss her hand the curls are trying to escape down her sleeve. Tacky hair for a future queen.
The top pic gives the illusion of a shoulder-length bob which would look so much better on her
I just scrolled up to look. You are absolutely right!
I really hope she shows up at the state dinner with the biggest and most obvious hairpiece.
That skirt looks awful.
Did Lazy break protocol by flashing during the SK visit?
Silence.
I’m sure Lazy’s pleased with the hand kiss. Her hat’s in the way for proper cheek kissing. Macron defers too much.
I agree, you couldn’t possibly do a cheek kiss with that hat. Actually since Covid there has been a lot less cheek kissing in my part of France.
IT looks like a wrinkled petticoat.
The skirt makes her look like a lamp.
He’s just being French. This is cultural exchange. Respect his culture.
Lol, all the photoshopping to suddenly turn that drab beige into a dusky pink.
It would only have broke protocol if a certain woman named Meg would have had her hand kissed and then all hell would have broke loose and she would have been blamed for it.
She’s back to copying Mary again. The color is good, but the cut and length of the skirt is dated. Mary did it better…she looked stylish and modern.
Lol, I love how the tabloids work:
Headline – A scandalous breach in protocol???!!!!
Content – No
A damp squib.
The hair, the hat, the shoes, the skirt,…..ugh. Do they not have mirrors in any of the homes where she resides?
I personally like the hand kiss, he’s French, it’s a very French thing to do. No biggie.
He greeted her warmly and still professionally, like Charles greeted Brigitte. Kate is not so holy that a kiss on the hand will tarnish her.
The British media hate Macron so they’re going to be bashing him for every perceived breach of protocol. I’ve already seen the GB News royal correspondent accuse him of walking in front of Charles during the inspection of guard of honour.
Camilla is like where’s my hand kiss?
I don’t think Macron would like kissing a hoof.
Hoof kiss, more like.
he did kiss her hand when they arrived at the castle.
Aah okay thank u. I really was thinking that was a slight against the current queen. So the trumped up outrage is only about him kissing Kate’s hand. Bc she’s so delicate. Got it. Eye roll.
My attention is on the super long wig/hair hanging down Kate’s Back. She must have access to stylists who can give this hair a makeover.
When I was in Quebec City eons ago, we had lunch in one of the touristy restaurants. The waiter was super attentive and addressed me as “madame” with a lovely French accent. I felt all shivery and told Mr Lissen to be sure to leave a big tip. LOL
I’m sure dear Katie also felt shivery when she got her hand kissed by a Frenchman.
One of my closest friends is Québécois. He typically speaks to me in English but I occasionally get to hear him speak French. Either way, I know EXACTLY what you mean. haha
Lordy that hair….ringlets FFS????? Stop Kate, just stop. Get a professional looking, shoulder length bob and stop with the Sloane Ranger look, it’s OK for college students but not for you.
The ringlets really are too much.
This is yet more proof that Kate doesn’t have any female friends. She needs a friend to tell her, over a glass of wine, that the ringlets and wiglets are terrible.
I don’t even think Sloane rangers do ringlets. Someone compared her to Sarah Stanley from road to Avonlea and despite that being a young girl in the early 1900s, it fits.
I was thinking Mary Pickford, who played little girls well into her 30s, possibly even 40s (going from memory here). Early 1900s in the silent film era.
Imagine spending over a decade trying t craft your brand as “regular people” but every time a person greets you in public the media claims they breached the protocol that’s required to greet you.
This is one of the most formal hand kiss greetings I have seen a photo of so I’m not sure about it being a warm greeting. Compare to how Charles does the same greeting style which always makes me uncomfortable https://people.com/royals/prince-charles-queen-letizia-spain-share-friendly-royal-greeting-auckland-castle/
Agreed, it feels too creepy and close like that.
The pictures on Getty show a lot of hand kissing. Macron kissing Camilla’s hand and Charles kissing Macron’s wife’s hand which is really gross. He looks like he’s about to eat it.
I am sorry but I don’t like that skirt at all and the shoes are wrong. I can’t believe Dior made this . Maybe it’s because Kate makes everything she wears look cheap . As for the hair . She could be locked in a tower like rupunzel and use that wiglet to escape.
Dang those ringlets in the hand kiss pic are CRAZY. If the ringlets were straightened her hair would reach to her waist, yet when she wears her hair straight it’s not that long. Proof beyond a doubt she’s wearing extensions.
And suede shoes in summer? 🙄
And a matching suede clutch!
I bet Kate enjoyed the hand kiss and must be looking forward to the Wimbledon ovation as her due reward for turning up! I mean Will has never showered her with attention or romantic gestures like sharing an umbrella when it’s pissing down , has he?
Has anyone noticed that in the second photo, where she’s standing alone, her hallux is “pouring out” of her right shoe? It looks awful and it’s not just this photo. It’s the same in other photos, so that’s how it looked in real life the whole time.
Damn it, this is a state visit in front of the international media, not just a royal photographer who’s going to remake it in Photoshop. She should wear different shoes. I even thought that maybe the shoe was new and got deformed because of the hallux, but no, because the foot is clearly tight, so nothing has come apart. ☹️ I don’t get it!
I noticed that, too. Looks painful. Also, looks more like the joint for the big toe, rather than the big toe itself sticking out. Or she has bunions.
Okay, so over/under on her whole illness last year actually being for some sort of bunion surgery…plus some precancerous cells?
The sycophant tabloids are cooing over Kathy’s “elegant” hairstyle.I think they might be taking the P