Queen Elizabeth: Mayor made shocking mistake with monarch on France royal tour (Image: Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, 98, travelled to France in 1972 on a royal visit. While the couple were there, a French mayor made a serious “faux-pas,” a royal expert said. Author Robert Hardman explained what happened during a visit to Provence in his 2018 book Queen of the World. The incident was one that would usually have caused great consternation, but in this instance was forgiven.
Queen Elizabeth: Mayor made shocking mistake with monarch on France royal tour
Hardman tells of a time during the trip to France when the mayor of Les Baux de Provence made the mistake of touching the Queen.
“The morning started with a royal tour of Les Baux, during which the mayor, Raymond Thuillier, placed a firm hand on the Queen’s shoulder to stop her straying too close to the edge of a 700-foot precipice,” wrote Hardman.
“Throughout her reign, dignitaries and VIPs have been scolded in the media for that faux-pas of ‘touching’ the monarch.
“On this occasion, though, the media did not castigate M.Thuillier for his over-protective impulse. It was a long drop.”
When meeting the Queen, one should never touch Her Majesty - it is only acceptable to shake her hand if she offers it.
This protocol was memorably broken by
