Kate Middleton was taken by surprise while welcoming French president Emmanuel Macron in Raf Northolt with Prince William.
The Princess of Wales maintained a quiet and compound reaction when she received an unexpected air kiss in Macron’s hand.
When the French president helped his wife lower the stairs, which seemed to reject, then he greeted William with a warm handshake and friendly gestures.
They turned to Kate and offered an educated air kiss on his hand instead of a handshake.
Body language expert Judi James said that while the gesture could feel outdated for some, Kate handled him grace and smiled calmly.
“Macron’s charm offensive would not be frustrated. After a micro truncated ritual that hinted that he could have been looking for a cheek to William, he settle for a handshake that splashed with hand jumps and grouped to suggest familiarity and friendship,” he said.
The expert added: “When his gallantry exhibition was distilled in a belly of painters that seemed to have made from his shake offered.
“This is a difficult ritual for the modern woman to respond, since it tends to cause a embarrassed laugh in these more feminist times.
“But Kate smiled gracefully, perhaps aware that it would be Brigitte’s turn below, since Charles chose to lift the back of her hand to her lips to maintain visual contact while planting her own lips.”
