Sorry about that tongue twister – I was looking for a catchy title about this article regarding French president Sarkozy and his model wife Carla Bruni who have been received in true Royal style at Windsor Castle.

We were watching the event live and I had to muse that Sarkozy was doing what old Bonaparte never achieved – rolling up to a Royal British residence in a horse-drawn carriage to shake hands with the British Monarch. Well, I suppose Bony would have elbowed the Queen out of the way and sat on her throne himself!  but of course all eyes were on the new Missus, Carla, and while she carried herself off well I felt she looked just a tad uncomfortable standing in the Royal lineup with her bag dangling in front of her.

You cannot blame her though; not too long ago she was trying to cut it as a pop singer after cutting it for many years as a top model and now there she is, France’s First Lady being received by the Queen of England. Sarkozy on the other hand had a smile that looked as if it had been carved into his face some hours earlier and had been told not to move in case the wind changed and he lost it.

They do make a cutish couple though; and with Camilla there Carla had no real opposition in the style-stakes – had she been standing there next to Diana it would have been a different matter and I doubt Carla would have opted to wear that dowdy grey dress…