NEED TO KNOW
- Kate Middleton and French President Emmanuel Macron sat next to each other during the official state banquet on July 8
- While Macron was serious in his official speeches during the visit, he showed off a playful side during the dinner, sharing a wink with the princess
- The French leader was also chivalrous, helping to pull out Kate’s chair before taking a seat himself
Kate Middleton and French President Emmanuel Macron clinked glasses during the state banquet at Windsor Castle.
The star-studded gala dinner on July 8, held in honor of the first official French state visit in 17 years, saw Macron seated between Princess Kate and King Charles. The 47-year-old politician politely helped to pull out the Princess of Wales’ chair and waited for her to sit before taking his own seat beside her.
Later, cameras captured Macron winking at Princess Kate during a toast, a moment that was widely circulated on social media in one of the most buzzed-about moments of the evening.
LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP via Getty
The warm gesture between Princess Kate and President Macron began the moment he and his wife disembarked their flight at RAF Northolt on Tuesday. The Prince and Princess of Wales greeted them on the tarmac, and Macron met Kate with a kiss to her hand.
While the gesture may have raised some eyebrows, it is not actually against royal protocol. The royal family’s official website explains that there are no strict codes of conduct for meeting royals.
“There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms. 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.
LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP via Getty
The state banquet seating arrangements saw spouses take their places across from each other at the massive table at Windsor Castle. While King Charles, President Macron and Princess Kate were seated together on one side, Prince William, 43, sat next to Macron’s wife, Brigitte, 72, who was flanked on her other side by Queen Camilla, 77.
Other famous faces at the dinner included Mick Jagger, Elton John and his husband David Furnish, Kristin Scott-Thomas and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Yui Mok-Pool/Getty
The King’s speech toasted the official visit, which was also the first by a European Union political leader since Brexit, with a unique detail about the night’s menu.
“This evening, we have drunk English sparkling wine made by a French champagne house. This would have been scarcely believable to at least some of our predecessors,” he said.
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Macron echoed the need for unity between France and the U.K. in his own toast.
“On either side of the channel, there is a constant reminder that we must never lower our guard,” he said.
