Mourners to pay their respects to the late Queen were stunned to see French President Emmanuel Macron strolling along the River Thames in London.
In a lighter moment during the Queen’s official mourning period, the French President and his wife Brigitte, who had already seen Her Majesty in state, decided to take a stroll in sunny London – and social media loved it.
The president mingled with people gathered in the streets around parliament.
Dozens of people reacted on social networks by posting photos or images of him out and about and others made up parodied messages, mocking Mr. Macron.
The French leader had ditched his trademark blue suit, for a darker dark navy jacket, dark trousers and black trainers, for the walk.
He had apparently decided to go “incognito” to gauge the mood of the British public.
But as they drove through central London, flanked by aides and security guards, they were anything but ‘incognito’.
“Possibly the least incognito person I’ve ever seen,” several people said on social media, including Alix Mortimer, who added, “As the saying goes, ‘as good at disguise as a dark-spectacled giraffe trying to get into a golf club reserved for polar bears”.
Online video shows passers-by turning their heads to look around, some recognizing the figures, some not.
The pair changed into sunglasses and trainers before paying their respects at the Queen’s coffin
One person tweeted – under a photo appearing to show the impeccably dressed chef, with designer sunglasses – given a reasonably priced pastry: “Juste un petit voyage incognito à Greggs” – “Just a little incognito trip to Greggs”!
To which someone replied: “I would like a steak bake.”
The image was quickly debunked as a fake.
The French president and first lady joined hundreds of other foreign dignitaries at a reception at Buckingham Palace on Sunday evening, where they presented King Charles with a photo book celebrating the Queen’s ties and visits with France over the years.
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