President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to the United Kingdom on July 8, 2025, made diplomatic headlines for more than just its symbolism — it also sparked debate over royal etiquette. During the ceremonial inspection of the Grenadier Guards and Scots Guards at Windsor Castle, Macron appeared to stride several steps ahead of King Charles III, leading some observers to accuse the French leader of breaching royal protocol.
Social media users were quick to criticize the moment, with one viewer quipping, “Shouldn’t he know he is not supposed to walk in front of the King? Dude truly thinks he’s Napoleon,” while others called it “disrespectful.” The scene drew inevitable comparisons to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2018 visit, when he famously walked in front of Queen Elizabeth II during a similar inspection — an incident that also drew sharp rebukes at the time.
However, royal commentators were quick to clarify that Macron’s stride likely wasn’t a serious faux pas. According to GB News correspondent Cameron Walker, protocol during a state visit allows for flexibility when hosting a foreign head of state. “It is perhaps custom that the King, as the host, gives way to the foreign head of state, who is the honored guest at Windsor Castle,” Walker explained. “There shouldn’t really have been so much of a hoo-haa with what President Trump did either.”
Still, the visual optics of a guest walking ahead of a monarch — particularly in the British context, where tradition and symbolism are paramount — can easily ignite controversy. Even if technically permissible, such moments often take on outsized importance in the public imagination, reflecting how deeply tied the monarchy remains to ideas of decorum and deference.
Macron’s gestures throughout the visit added further fuel for etiquette-watchers. Upon landing at RAF Northolt, the French President and his wife, Brigitte Macron, were greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales. Macron’s choice to kiss Princess Kate’s hand prompted whispers of another possible breach — though, in fact, no such rule exists. The royal family’s official website explicitly states there are “no obligatory codes of behavior” when meeting royals, noting that while bows and curtsies are traditional, handshakes or other polite gestures are equally acceptable.
The debate surrounding Macron’s actions recalls a long tradition of public fascination with royal protocol — and the ways global leaders either observe or disrupt it. Biographer Craig Brown, in his 2024 book A Voyage Around the Queen, recounted that Queen Elizabeth reportedly found Trump’s demeanor “very rude,” particularly his tendency to “look over her shoulder” in search of others to engage with. For King Charles, who has long valued diplomacy and environmental advocacy over pomp, Macron’s perceived misstep was unlikely to be taken as a personal slight.
Ultimately, Macron’s Windsor walkabout highlights how even in the modern age, royal symbolism continues to hold sway — and how every step taken beside the British monarch remains a delicate dance between tradition, respect, and international optics.
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