Prince William and Kate Middleton leave royal fans baffled amid 'strange' staging

Royal fans have been left feeling perplexed over the ‘strange’ staging of the royal’s official welcome to French president Emmanuel Macron. Macron and his wife Brigitte arrived in the UK for their three-day state visit, and were greeted by Prince William andKate when they disembarked their plane at the RAF Northolt.

The Prince and Princess of Wales then accompanied the French leader and his wife to Windsor, where they were joined by King Charles and Queen Camilla for an official welcome ceremony at Windsor Castle. Charles and Macron then carried out an inspection of the military Guard of Honour.

As the royals stood to watch the guards perform their official welcome duties on horseback, many royal spectators were confused over the staging of the scene, as King Charles, Queen Camilla, Macron and Brigitte stood on a raised platform and under a covering, while Kate and William stood off to the side.

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One person pointed out the staging on X, writing: "Am I the only one who objects to this staging? Who thought it was a good idea to place OUR Prince and Princess of Wales off stage like this? The optics are terrible."

Others were quick to agree, with one person writing: “It doesn’t look right,” while another added: “I agree. Very awkward. They could have been on the stage behind, even would have looked better."

Another royal fan drew comparisons to another state visit, saying: "It’s strange?! On previous state visits (like the South Korean visit) they were all on the stage were they not?"

But despite the confusion, one royal fan speculated the strict royal protocol that had come into play for the scene, clarifying that while the staging may seem unusual, it was actually perfectly normal given the circumstances.

They wrote on X: “In royal protocol, the primary hosts and highest-ranking individuals usually take centre stage during official events. In this instance, King Charles III and Queen Camilla, along with President Macron and his wife, are seated under the awning because they are the principal figures in the state visit—the monarch and head of state hosting their guest.

“Prince William and Catherine, as the Prince and Princess of Wales, hold significant but slightly junior roles compared to the King and Queen. Standing slightly to the side reflects their supportive role in the ceremony, respecting the precedence of the monarch and the visiting head of state.

“William and Catherine played primary roles in welcoming President Macron and his wife at the airport, working together in support of the main hosts. This arrangement follows strict royal protocol, emphasising hierarchy and the importance of roles during formal occasions. It’s perfectly normal.”

The first day of the French state visit culminated in a star-studded royal banquet last night, which was Princess Kate’s first state banquet in two years. Kate wore the Lover's Knot tiara and red gown with caped back detailing by Sarah Burton for Givenchy as she joined the King, Queen, her husband Prince William and some 160 guests at Windsor Castle for the white tie dinner, which is the glitzy highlight of the French state visit.

Before the event, William and Kate gave a sneak peek of their outfits by posting a photo of themselves on social media with the caption: "Ready for what promises to be a wonderful State Banquet this evening in Windsor."