Macron’s helpful gesture rebuffed by wife in another awkward plane incident
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Another airplane departure, another awkward moment was caught on camera between French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte.
The couple were disembarking from a plane Tuesday ahead of their state visit with the British royal family when Brigitte pointedly ignored the French leader’s helping hand.
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Macron was already on the red carpet when he held out a hand to his wife, who was descending the jet’s steps.
The first lady, dressed in an all-white ensemble, barely glanced at her husband as she used the handrail instead, leaving Macron to awkwardly move away to greet an awaiting Prince William and Princess Kate.
Things got considerably warmer when the four were with the royals, including Macron air-kissing Kate’s hand.
However, it appears the chill returned when the Macrons got into a waiting vehicle that took them to Windsor Castle to meet with King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Brigitte looked at her phone and appeared to say nothing to her husband.
The couple then went their separate ways with the French president and British monarch riding in one carriage through the streets of Windsor, while the first lady sat in a separate carriage with Camilla.
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Brigitte appeared much friendlier with the British public, even blowing kisses to the crowd from the carriage.
Though things eventually improved with the couple photographed arm in arm, smiling and chatting with one another at other events.
Some on social media believed the brush-off was intentional, while others suggested that the 72-year-old was focused on holding onto the railing as she carefully made her way down the stairs to greet the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The incident came weeks after Brigitte was filmed shoving her husband in the face with both hands as they prepared to get off a plane during a visit to Vietnam.
Macron was forced to publicly dismiss the spat as “horseplay,” but the story created a stir in France and around the world.
The couple’s trip marked the first formal state visit to the U.K. by a French leader since 2008 — when Nicholas Sarkozy was president and model Carla Bruni was first lady.
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