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The Princess of Wales was greeted by French President Emmanuel Macron with an unusual air kiss for the hand – and a body language expert has revealed what Kate’s reaction tells us

The Princess of Wales was greeted by French President Emmanuel Macron with an unusual air kiss for the hand – and an expert has revealed Kate’s reaction to it.

Both Kate and William were at RAF Northolt this morning to greet Macron and his wife Brigitte as they arrived in the UK for a state visit. As the couple emerged from their jet, the French leader offered his hand to his wife as she descended the stairs, but she declined his assistance. The president then warmly shook William’s hand and held onto his arm as they chatted. Mr Macron then took the princess’s hand and delivered a gallant air kiss towards it.

Macron’s snub from his wife comes weeks after Brigitte appeared to slap him in the face during a heated argument on an official tour in Vietnam.

And despite Mrs Macron appearing to refuse her husband’s hand, body language expert Judi James says the French leader’s charm offensive could not be thwarted.

She told the Mirror : “Anyone expecting a repeat of the infamous ‘Shove de visage’ gesture from Brigitte to her husband as they stood at the entrance to their plane here would have been thwarted as this time Macron bounced out alone and Brigitte appeared a few seconds later to descend by herself.

“Would there be a display of performed coupledom from the pair then, who did seem to want to erase the push from our consciousness via some tender-looking arm-holding and affectionate glances during their actual visit to Vietnam?

“The suggestion here was a big fat ‘Non’. Despite holding his hand out to his wife like a showman presenting the lead star on stage, Brigitte appeared to ignore the offer, even turning quickly to greet her hosts rather than taking his hand in an affectionate clasp once both her feet were on the tarmac.

“But Macron’s charm offensive would not be thwarted. After a micro truncated ritual that hinted he might just have been going for a cheek-kiss to William, he settled for a handshake that he peppered with add-on hand grasps and clasps to suggest familiarity and friendship.”

And when it came to Kate, Judi revealed how the princess appeared to take his kissing gesture.

She added: “When his display of gallantry became distilled into a quaintly antique air hand-kiss that he seemed to have fashioned out of her offered shake. This is a difficult ritual for the modern woman to respond to as it tends to prompt an embarrassed giggling in these more feminist times.

“But Kate smiled gracefully, perhaps aware that it would be Brigitte’s turn next as Charles opted to lift the back of her hand right up to his lips to maintain eye contact as he planted his own lips.”

Kate was carrying out the royal duties today after opening up about her ‘rollercoaster’ cancer recovery, its life-changing impact and putting on a “brave face” last week.

She channelled diplomatic royal dressing choosing to wear French fashion house Christian Dior for the celebratory occasion. Her earrings belonged to Diana, Princess of Wales and the pearl necklace was from the late Queen’s collection.

The Christian Dior jacket is the 30 Montaigne Rose Des Vents Bar Jacket and a piece from the 2024 collection. It was reimagined by Maria Grazia Chiuri, who was inspired by the original first created in 1947 by Dior himself. Kate’s hat was by Jess Collett.

A man was filmed performing with a pianist at a park and, while onlookers were enjoying the performance, it took them a little while to realise who started singing

Music lovers were left gobsmacked when a seemingly ordinary busker turned out to be none other than a global superstar during an impromptu park performance. A pianist by the name of Emilio Piano was playing in a park when a mysterious figure stepped up to the mic, and the crowd watched in awe as they slowly recognised the man who joined Emilio for a duet – leaving many utterly starstruck.

Emilio took to Instagram to share the jaw-dropping moment, and the video has since exploded online, with fans in disbelief that a GRAMMY-award winning legend graced the park with his presence. He captioned the post: “@teddysphotos shocked everyone at a park in Germany”.

The clip has attracted over 200, 000 views, with social media users just as astonished as the onlookers. One commenter quipped: “He looks and sings like Ed Sheeran”.

Another enthused: “No but, this guy is incredible, international star who makes lots of appearances, a piano street here and an appearance here, we love him”.

A third exclaimed: “Oh my god. You made a video with Ed Sheeran. Bravo – this is really amazing”. Meanwhile, a fourth added: “Ed’s so incredibly talented. The pianist is too”.

Yet another person joined in, saying: “Ed is amazing! Piano player – how did you stay calm”?

The video of Ed and Emilio performing “Sapphire” has taken the internet by storm, with fans in disbelief that the superstar casually turned up for a live park performance. Emilio shared snapshots of the unforgettable experience on social media, where he confessed it was a “dream come true” to jam with Ed.

He had reached out to Ed back in 2023, expressing his desire to collaborate in an Instagram message, which read: “Dear Ed Sheeran. My biggest dream would be to make a video with you one day.

” I would come anywhere in the world to play with you at a public piano. Many greetings, Emilio. “

Emilio’s aspirations have since materialised, leaving him with both videos and photos to commemorate the occasion. Admirers are marvelling at music’s power to unite people, calling the event” amazing. “

One social media user remarked:” As I said before, you never know until you try, right? Congratulations on getting to play with Ed Sheeran.

“That guy’s got big talent and big heart. It must have been a joy. Seeing your face while you play with him confirms it”.

Another fan praised Ed’s down-to-earth nature, writing: “What I love about Ed is that he’s so very humble and endearing! This is fantastic”.

A man was filmed performing with a pianist at a park and, while onlookers were enjoying the performance, it took them a little while to realise who started singing

Music lovers were left gobsmacked when a seemingly ordinary busker turned out to be none other than a global superstar during an impromptu park performance. A pianist by the name of Emilio Piano was playing in a park when a mysterious figure stepped up to the mic, and the crowd watched in awe as they slowly recognised the man who joined Emilio for a duet – leaving many utterly starstruck.

Emilio took to Instagram to share the jaw-dropping moment, and the video has since exploded online, with fans in disbelief that a GRAMMY-award winning legend graced the park with his presence. He captioned the post: “@teddysphotos shocked everyone at a park in Germany”.

The clip has attracted over 200, 000 views, with social media users just as astonished as the onlookers. One commenter quipped: “He looks and sings like Ed Sheeran”.

Another enthused: “No but, this guy is incredible, international star who makes lots of appearances, a piano street here and an appearance here, we love him”.

A third exclaimed: “Oh my god. You made a video with Ed Sheeran. Bravo – this is really amazing”. Meanwhile, a fourth added: “Ed’s so incredibly talented. The pianist is too”.

Yet another person joined in, saying: “Ed is amazing! Piano player – how did you stay calm”?

The video of Ed and Emilio performing “Sapphire” has taken the internet by storm, with fans in disbelief that the superstar casually turned up for a live park performance. Emilio shared snapshots of the unforgettable experience on social media, where he confessed it was a “dream come true” to jam with Ed.

He had reached out to Ed back in 2023, expressing his desire to collaborate in an Instagram message, which read: “Dear Ed Sheeran. My biggest dream would be to make a video with you one day.

” I would come anywhere in the world to play with you at a public piano. Many greetings, Emilio. “

Emilio’s aspirations have since materialised, leaving him with both videos and photos to commemorate the occasion. Admirers are marvelling at music’s power to unite people, calling the event” amazing. “

One social media user remarked:” As I said before, you never know until you try, right? Congratulations on getting to play with Ed Sheeran.

“That guy’s got big talent and big heart. It must have been a joy. Seeing your face while you play with him confirms it”.

Another fan praised Ed’s down-to-earth nature, writing: “What I love about Ed is that he’s so very humble and endearing! This is fantastic”.

The much-loved broadcaster was sixty-one when she learned she had early-onset Alzheimer’s disease back in 2022 – her family has opened up about how the disease is progressing

TV presenter Fiona Phillips, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease three years ago, has opened up about her everyday life with the condition. Television executive Martin Frizzell, who has been married to Fiona for 28 years, spoke of his wife’s vulnerability in the couple’s joint memoir titled Remember When: My Life with Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in the UK, which causes an ongoing decline of brain functioning including memory, thinking skills and other abilities. The progressive, life-limiting condition is the UK’s leading cause of death for the last ten years.

Former Mirror columnist Fiona, 64, initially thought she was having menopause symptoms when she first started experiencing “brain fog and anxiety”. The mum-of-two went onto be diagnosed with the same devastating condition her parents suffered from, with the star caring for them both.

READ MORE: Fiona Phillips’ husband reveals her heartbreaking daily routine after Alzheimer’s diagnosis

Martin, who spent ten years at the helm of ITV This Morning, stepped down from his position in February to care for Fiona, taking on many tasks he had once taken for granted. The couple employ a trained carer to help too, with the 66-year-old explaining that on bad, confused days his wife demands to see her parents who have sadly passed away.

In excerpts from their heartbreaking memoir published in the Daily Mail, he told of his wife’s daily routine. “It is January 2025 as I write this, and Fiona needs a lot of help,” said Martin. “She needs help showering and brushing her teeth. She can do these things physically, but is unable now to think about how she should do them…

” I wash Fiona’s hair because she wouldn’t know what shampoo or conditioner to use or how wet her hair needs to be or that she must rinse the soap suds out afterwards. And most nights I’ll say, ‘ Right, we need to brush our teeth before we go to bed, ‘ and I’ll put the toothpaste on the brush and hand it to her. “

Martin and Fiona married in 1997 and went onto have sons Nat and Mackenzie. With her Alzheimer’s disease progressing, Martin heartbreakingly shared that his wife sometimes forgets they are married, while Fiona told how she much she was struggling to accept the diagnosis in the beginning.

Martin explained that while Fiona can dress herself, she doesn’t do it” correctly “and sometimes puts things on the wrong way round. He also revealed his wife becomes very fond of one piece of clothing and will want to wear it” over and over again. “

Fiona is best known for presenting ITV breakfast programme GMTV Today. The star began her career in local radio and was also a Daily Mirror columnist and Loose Women panellist.

And while the presenter feels disconnected from her family as her illness progresses, her husband said he can get lonely”. It feels selfish to say that because this is not about me – it’s about Fiona and she’s the one who is really suffering in all this, “said Martin.

” She’s the one who feels lonely and scared and is often in pain. “

Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer’s by Fiona Phillips (Macmillan, £22), is published July 17