Emmanuel Macron Kisses Kate Middleton's Hand at State Visit — But Did He Break a Royal Protocol?
Prince William and Kate Middleton on Tuesday, July 8, welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte. Amid the ongoing refurbishment of Buckingham Palace, the three-day state visit was held at Windsor Castle. As the Prince and Princess of Wales received the French President, Macron, in an old-school move, greeted Middleton by kissing her hand. The gesture raised eyebrows as many saw it as a breach of royal protocol.
Upon meeting the Princess, Macron had bent down and given a peck on Middleton’s hand. According to People magazine, despite the backlash, the French President had not in fact broken any protocol, as there are no strict rules for foreign dignitaries meeting royals. In the absence of such a code of conduct, it is suggested that the men in the royal family may be greeted with a bow, while women met with a small curtsy. The official website of the royal family states, “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.” While not common in the royal family, a kiss on the hand is an old-school way of greeting women. The gesture screams French, and the Princess gracefully greeted Macron back.
Interestingly, Middleton is all but familiar with unusual greetings. Previously, she also made headlines when she received a kiss on the cheek from tennis legend and close friend, Roger Federer, when he greeted her at Wimbledon. As per Tyla, this was in 2023, when the Princess sat with Federer in the royal box to watch a match. The gesture was considered a breach of royal protocol, which states that any member of the royal family should not be touched until they themselves initiate a handshake. However, Middleton seemed unbothered by the peck, given her close friendship with the Wimbledon star over the years. The same was also seen in 2017 after Federer won his record eighth title in men’s Wimbledon. This time, it was Middleton who went for not one, not two, but three kisses on the sportsman’s cheeks while William watched on, unbothered. This is because a kiss on the cheek is a sweet Swiss tradition, and Federer is a native.
Coming back to Macron, similar to the French President, King Charles has occasionally also been seen greeting women by kissing their hands. Just last year, the monarch kissed Brigitte’s hand upon saying goodbye after the service of the D-Day Landings in Normandy, France. Following his trip to France, he recently did it again when welcoming the First Lady at Windsor before the ceremonial welcome. The King, Queen Camilla, and the Waleses later had lunch in the state dining room, where there was a special display of items connected to France. This was followed with a banquet.