Queen Camilla has been criticised for her awkward moment with the French First Lady where she appeared to snub her offer of a handshake.
The bizarre encounter happened after the pair laid wreaths in honour of the fallen D-Day soldiers at the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer where Brigitte Macron attempted to hold the Queen’s hand as they stood together in a moment of silence.
Speaking on GB News, political commentator Emma Woolf said the move was “unworthy of her [Camilla]” as she demanded royal protocol flexibility.
“I like Camilla, but I thought this was unworthy of her”, she told Mark Dolan.
Emma Woolf criticised Queen Camilla
GETTY / GB NEWS
“It costs nothing to return a little hand squeeze. She has only been Queen for a year or so.
“There is nothing wrong with taking someone’s hand. If you take a look at the Princess of Wales or even Meghan Markle out and about, they are hugging, they are interacting with the public.
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“I think this royal protocol nonsense is rubbish.
“Brigitte Macron is not a ‘commoner’, she is the wife of the French President. I thought it was really unnecessary.”
Mark told Woolf that she is “up a gum tree” as he defended her actions.
He said Camilla’s determination to uphold royal protocols should be viewed with pride and the late Queen would have done the same.
Mark Dolan defended Queen Camilla’s actions
GB NEWS
“There is one person who will be looking down on what she did there with such joy and pride”, he said.
“And that is Queen Elizabeth II. If the late Queen was there, she would have said ‘well done Camilla’.”
Camilla’s snub was met with a mixed reaction from the public, with one user on X (formerly Twitter) that “it’s against all protocol for the Queen to be touched”.
Another user branded it a “petty snub”.
The topic proved controversial during a lively GB News discussion
GB NEWS
While the awkward moment appeared to be an anomaly, it is not the first time royal protocol boundaries have been tested.
Michelle Obama once placed her arm around Queen Elizabeth during a trip to Buckingham Palace with her husband, Barack Obama, in 2009.
Elizabeth also appeared to stray slightly from protocol by wrapping her arm around Obama in reciprocation.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman at the time said it was a “mutual and spontaneous display of affection”.