French President Emmanuel Macron has come under fire for seemingly breaking strict royal protocol after he walked in front of King Charles during a ceremonial inspection at Windsor Castle – prompting comparisons to US President Donald Trump.
Macron, who was invited to inspect the troops in the Upper Ward of Windsor as part of a State visit, was seen strolling ahead of the monarch while reviewing the Grenadier Guards and Scots Guards.
In a GB News livestream of the event, Royal Correspondent Cameron Walker noted the potential breach and drew a pointed comparison.
He said: ‘On your screens now you’ll see the King is walking behind the President of France.
‘If you remember a few years ago where Queen Elizabeth II invited President Trump of the United States, during his first term of office, to inspect a guard of honour, President Trump was heavily criticised for walking in front of Her Majesty the Queen.
‘And as you can see on your screens here, President Macron is walking in front of His Majesty the King.
‘Now, I understand that there shouldn’t really have been perhaps so much of a hoo-haa with what President Trump did, as this is perhaps custom – that the King, as the host, gives way to the foreign head of state which is the honoured guest at Windsor Castle.’
Despite Walker’s attempt to clarify the tradition, many viewers were unimpressed by the optics of the French President striding ahead of Britain’s sovereign.
French President Emmanuel Macron has come under fire for seemingly breaking strict royal protocol after he walked in front of King Charles at Windsor Castle
Macron was compared to Donald Trump as he was seen strolling ahead of the monarch while reviewing the Grenadier Guards and Scots Guards
Social media erupted with criticism, with some users suggesting Macron’s behaviour was a deliberate snub.
One furious commenter wrote: ‘He’s doing it on purpose. He’s French, he doesn’t believe in monarchy and he’s an absolute narcissist trying to feel like Napoleon for 5 minutes.’
Others echoed the suspicion, with one saying: ‘I bet Macron is doing it on purpose. I bet he won’t get as much criticism as Trump did.’
Another added: ‘At least Trump corrected his error by waiting for the Queen to catch up, Macron thinks he is the supreme ruler there.’
In the video clip, Macron is seen conversing with members of the King’s Guard as King Charles walks a few paces behind – a detail not missed by eagle-eyed royal fans.
One remarked: ‘And conversing with the King’s Guard, as though the King was not even there! Unbelievable.’
Some royal watchers placed the onus on the monarch himself, suggesting King Charles had failed to assert his position during the formal proceedings.
One commenter argued: ‘I don’t like it but The King has not asserted himself or held any position.
Avid royal fans took to social media with a flurry of opinions, with speculations emerging of tension between the King and Macron
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‘By speaking at the WEF, he is basically a pawn in the game and positions himself on par with people like Macron… the King should not be aligning himself with such degeneracy.’
While criticism of Macron dominated much of the online chatter, a few more diplomatic voices suggested that the order of walking may have simply followed longstanding custom in which the host monarch steps back to allow the guest head of state to lead during troop inspections.
One person said: ‘I think he is leading the way as he is the host.’ Another agreed: ‘He knows royal protocol.’
But the spectacle struck a nerve with many royalists, who viewed it as an example of a foreign leader failing to respect British traditions.
Though there is no evidence of any personal tension between the King and the French President, the moment added fuel to the reactions, with critics keen to draw links between Macron’s perceived arrogance and what they view as a lack of deference to the Crown.
Whether Macron’s move was a diplomatic faux pas or a customary gesture remains up for debate but, for many, the optics alone were enough to spark outrage.