While her husband is struggling with political chaos back home, Brigitte Macron received a far warmer welcome from Queen Camilla today.
Sporting Dior – naturellement – Her Majesty shared a decidedly French double kiss with the First Lady and greeted her with a cheery ‘Bonjour!’ as they celebrated a new cross-channel literary initiative.
The Queen praised Madame Macron’s English as ‘far better than my French’ – although she did study in Paris in her youth – and appeared to have such a good time at a reception with authors that the engagement ran a few minutes over schedule.
The pair teamed up to celebrate the Entente Littéraire Prize Ceremony, a new prize for young adult fiction in translation in French and English.
The Queen, 77, and First Lady of France, 71, who have previously played table tennis together, spent 15 minutes talking privately at the event, where they swapped books: four of the Queen’s Reading Room recommendations from Camilla to Madame Macron, and a book about Notre Dame in return.
The event was held at the French Ambassador’s Residence in London, near to Kensington Palace, where dozens of authors and translators gathered to honour the prize.
The Queen and Madame Macron greeted each other with arms outstretched. ‘How are you? How nice to see you,’ the Queen said.
After posing for a photograph, the pair walked up the steps, Madame Macron thanked the Queen for ‘organising’ the prize.
The sophisticated pair make their way into the embassy for the Entente Littéraire Prize ceremony
Brigitte Macron, 71, greets the Queen, 77, outside the French Ambassador’s Residence in London
The French First Lady and the monarch converse on the red carpet before the event starts
The Queen was not heard to share further details of her illness, after telling guests at Buckingham Palace yesterday that she had been diagnosed with pneumonia.
She has been undertaking a reduced programme as she recovers, particularly from tiredness, but completed the full one-hour engagement today.
The two women made a brief stop in the building’s library, before retiring for private conversation.
Guests at the reception included authors Peter James, Anthony Horowitz, Elif Shafak, Edward St Aubyn, Edmund de Waal, and illustrator Axel Scheffler.
The Queen seemed particularly pleased to see Joanne Harris, recognising her name immediately as the author of bestseller Chocolat, ‘one of my favourite books’.
The Queen told other authors about her preference for a ‘proper book’ over electronic versions, adding: ‘I like a proper page to turn.’
She wore grey and black tweed dress and jacket by Dior, in a show of what has become known as diplomatic dressing.
The Queen, a keen reader who has her own book club The Queen’s Reading Room, told crime author Peter James she had read his latest novel in two days, and ‘couldn’t put it down’.
At today’s ceremony, Camilla and Brigitte were introduced to the judges as well as the shortlisted authors
The Queen speaks with guests at the award ceremony
Queen Camilla and Brigitte Macron pose with winners Manon Steffan Ros (left), author of Le Livre Bleu de Nebo, and translater Lise Garond (second to the left)
The Queen and Madame Macron presented certificates to the winners of the prize.
She nodded in agreement at a speech by Joanna Harris, president of the judging panel, who said: ‘Many people who are great fans of literacy are not great fans of Young Adult fiction and let’s hope some of that changes.
‘This is a diet that we give to our young people to encourage them to be readers in later life.
‘That’s why it’s so very important.’
Two prizes of €8000 were awarded: one for a book originally written in French and translated into English, and the other written in English and translated into French. The money will be split equally between the writer and translator of each book.
The winners of the prize were Lucie Bryon for her graphic novel Thieves, and Manon Steffan Ros, author of Le Livre bleu de Nebo and its translator Lise Garond.
As she is still recovering from a bout of pneumonia, Queen Camilla used her outfit to channel luck as she joined forces with Brigitte Macron for the book award ceremony in London.
For the occasion that is undoubtedly close to her heart, the literature-loving monarch cut a sophisticated figure in a mottled grey blazer with a matching knee-length skirt – both from Dior.
For the occasion, Queen Camilla cut an elegant figure in a mottled grey blazer and knee-length skirt
The Queen paired her ensemble with the Queen Mother’s Rock Crystal Brooch which was a wedding gift from the late Queen
Both women opted for warm clothing to stave off the winter chill in London this morning
Notably, she paired the ensemble with the Queen Mother‘s Rock Crystal Brooch which was a wedding gift from the late Queen.
Camilla previously wore the art-deco brooch on Christmas day at Sandringham in 2008 and when meeting the Pope at the Vatican in 2009.
Additionally on her right wrist, the Queen wore a blue agate and gold Vintage Alhambra bracelet worth £4,800 from Van Cleef & Arpels – a French luxury jeweller that is loved by the Princess of Wales
The Alhambra motif is inspired by the four-leaf clover, which is said to bring good luck.
But this was not Camilla’s only attempt to bring luck with her today.
After wishing France’s First Lady farewell, she crossed her fingers to indicate a wish for luck.
As she is still under the weather, Camilla opted for black leather gloves and knee-high suede boots today in an attempt to stave off the winter chill.
Brigitte also wrapped up for the British weather in a long powder blue winter coat with matching heels – a colour she has worn time and time again, including at her husband’s inauguration in 2018 – as it accentuates her light blue eyes.
Although the prize was only established in 2023, Camilla has been a supporter of it since day one having officially launched it alongside her husband King Charles, Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte during a state visit to France last year.
Queen Camilla crosses her fingers as she bids farewell to France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron after the book prize ceremony in London today
Brigitte wrapped up for the British weather in a long powder blue winter coat with matching heels
Camilla’s appearance today is the second time that the she has refused to miss an event about books, despite battling her ongoing illness.
On November 5, the palace announced that the Queen had come down with a chest infection and would miss Remembrance events that week, including the Festival of Remembrance and Remembrance Sunday at The Cenotaph war memorial.
But she was back in action on November 12 to meet with finalists of the literary Booker Prize at her London home, Clarence House.
‘I’m getting much better,’ she said at the event. ‘Bit of sort of coughing going on but I really wanted to be here.’
The Queen contracted her chest infection after a long haul trip to Australia and Samoa and has pulled out a series of engagements since then, including the Royal Variety Performance and the Gladiator II premiere.
It is understood the Queen was not taken to hospital with pneumonia, but is now facing bouts of extreme tiredness.
Sources stressed there was no cause for alarm, saying the chest infection had simply left the Queen ‘with significantly diminished reserves of energy’.
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