King Charles and President Macron showed ‘unexpected closeness’ beyond ‘regular small talk’ when they met in France, body language expert reveals

The world leaders showed closeness and lack of formality, Judi James revealed
READ MORE: Cyclists bump into King Charles while on a walk near Balmoral

King Charles and President Macron showed an ‘unexpected closeness’ and seemed close ‘beyond regular small talk’ as they met in France today, a body language expert has revealed.

Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, touched down in Paris today for the start of a three-day visit to France where they were greeted by Emmanuel and Brigette Macron.

Mr Macron and King Charles quickly embraced one another in a friendly meeting.

‘There was an unexpectedly potent air on bonhomie from these two men as they met, despite the fact they might actually have very little in common,’ body language expert Judi James told FEMAIL.

‘Their greeting rituals involved some close, head-to-head eye contact, chuckling and authentic smiles and Charles in particular spent much longer chatting intimately to Macron, suggesting their greeting conversations went far beyond the stages of the usual royal small-talk,’ she added.

King Charles and President Macron showed an ‘unexpected closeness’ and seemed close ‘beyond regular small talk’ as they met in France today, a body language expert has revealed

Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, touched down in Paris today for the start of a three-day visit to France where they were greeted by Emmanuel and Brigette Macron

The couple arrived shortly before 2pm on a private chartered flight from Farnborough, travelling on what is dubbed the ‘baby Voyager’ airbus plane to Paris Orly airport, where they were officially welcomed by the French Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, on behalf of President Macron and the French government.

They were also received by foreign secretary James Cleverly, the UK’s ambassador to France Dame Menna Rawlings and the French Ambassador to the UK, Hélène Tréheux-Duchêne.

Camilla was a pop of colour in an elegant dusky pink wool crepe coat dress by Fiona Clare, and a pink beret-shaped hat by milliner Philip Treacy, which she held on to tightly due to blustery conditions as they walked along a red carpet, brushed to perfection earlier.

The royals were then whisked off in the State Bentley to the Arc de Triumph where they were greeted by the President Macron, 45, and his wife Brigitte, 70, for a ceremony of remembrance and wreath laying at the Arc de Triomphe. President Macron was seen chuckling with the Queen as she repeatedly tried to keep her hat in place.

‘Charles almost seemed to be defining Macron as a bit of a confidant and the touch rituals exchanged, especially Macron’s rather hearty planting on one hand on the King’s back, showed a lack of any status or protocol inhibitions,’ Judi added.

‘We can see Charles still talking intently as the pair walk along together and this was not the kind of polite mumbling he will often do on royal visits.

‘He appeared pleased and slightly relieved to have Macron to talk to.’

‘Macron is always a master of the art of the double-signal with his own body language though’.

How to sign up to The Mail’s WhatsApp Channel

Scan this QR code and you’ll be taken to a page to join the channel

If you are reading this on your mobile web browser or in our mobile apps then simply click on this invite link to get Daily Mail Channels.

If you are reading this on desktop you can use your phone to scan the QR code and you’ll be taken to a page to join the Channel.

If you can’t see Channels in WhatsApp on your device, try updating WhatsApp via your app store. You will then need to close WhatsApp and then open it again.

Once you’ve joined The Mail’s channel, make sure you tap the bell icon at the top of the screen to receive notifications. (You can always turn them off later).

Once you’ve joined The Mail’s channel, make sure you tap the bell icon at the top of the screen to receive notifications

Judi added that Macron looked different to when he had met with politicians.

‘His poses with Keir Starmer for instance might have appeared cordial, with the two men shaking hands and Keir adding an arm pat to signal close friendship, but Macron’s other hand was stuffed firmly in his pocket as he shook, signalling a lack of commitment or even taking the meeting too seriously.

‘With Charles we can see him walk first into a room in the palace and Macron holds out an arm in a steering gesture to show him his chair.

‘Charles appears slightly confused though and it takes two more gestures, including one from a member of staff, to get the message across and while Charles’s back is turned to him, Macron seems to look at the press or the people in the room with an eyebrow-flash that looks like a rather knowing, tie-sign glance’.

President Macron and his wife, Mme Macron, greeted their guests warmly, having posted a glowing video tribute to the British monarch – showing Charles in France over the decades – on their social media outlets earlier. It read: ‘You visited as a Prince, you return as a King. Your Majesty, welcome.’

Judi added that Macron looked different to when he had met with politicians

The King will now have a meeting with the President before attending the black tie event at the Palace of Versailles, where he and Queen Camilla will be joined by Sir Mick Jagger

As the King and President laid the wreath as a both nations’ air forces conducted a magnificent fly past, soaring over the famous Parisian landmark. As part of the ceremony, Charles was invited by the president to symbolically light the monument’s eternal flame which burns in memory of those who died in the First and Second World Wars.

The King will now have a meeting with the President before attending the black tie event at the Palace of Versailles, where he and Queen Camilla will be joined by Sir Mick Jagger.

The President gave a small bow to the King and Queen, while Bridgette Macron – more business-like than Camilla in a navy jacket and short blue skirt with heels – gave Camilla a friendly kiss on each cheek.

A military band played the national anthems of Britain and France before His Majesty was escorted by the President to inspect the soldiers, consisting of the Regimental Band of the Garde Républicaine, the French Colour Part and the Tri-Service Guard of Honour. Meanwhile, the Queen chatted enthusiastically with Madame Macron.

After the Guard Inspection, The King and President Macron made their way to the Plateau, the centre piece of the Arc de Triomphe, where they stopped at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Both men bowed in silence in front of the eternal flame under the war memorial, before together laying a wreath in tribute to those who perished in the First and Second World Wars.

Nestled in the floral arrangement of white and red roses, the King placed a handwritten card with: ‘Iin everlasting remembrance’, written in English and French.

After the lighting, the bugle call ‘Aux Morts’, the French equivalent of ‘The Last Post’, meaning ‘to the dead’, was sounded and followed by a minute’s silence.

The British national anthem was followed by the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, as a stunning flypast of the Patrouille de France and the Red Arrows roared above the Champs-Élysées.

The Arc was the location for the Ceremonial Arrival of Queen Elizabeth II for Her Majesty’s final State Visit to France in 2014.

Source: Read Full Article