That time Louis Garneau broke royal protocols and hugged the Queen and she laughed it off

With the death of Queen Elizabeth, some cyclists are being reminded of the time that former Olympian, Louis Garneau, gave Her Majesty a hug. In 2002, Garneau, along with 50 Canadian VIPs was invited to a lunch to celebrate the queen’s 50-year reign. The lunch was in Rideau Hall, and hosted by former  Governor General Adrienne Clarkson.

Upon meeting the Queen, Garneau gave her a hug as he posted for a photo. His wife, Monique Arsenault, took the shot, and both the Queen and Garneau are all smiles. “I asked for a picture and she said: ‘No problem,” Garneau said afterwards in an interview with The Telgraph. “So I just put my arm around her shoulder.”

Behind the scenes though, the royal handlers jaws dropped. Royal protocol dictates that commoners aren’t supposed to touch royals unless royals themselves initiate contact. After the “incident” one official was quoted as saying Garneau was not alone in making the gaffe.

“It’s not the first time that someone has put an arm around the queen, and again the queen just takes it as it comes,” an official said after.

Later, Garneau explained what happened in their brief conversation. “The Queen said: ‘I remember you, you were a cyclist. I hope business is good now.”

Garneau still has fond memories of the meeting, 20 years later. “She was a very nice lady, and I am pleased I got to meet her,” he said. “I didn’t know I had done anything wrong until later, but she was very graceful and kind, I don’t think she minded.”

It was not the first time Garneau had met the queen. “I also met her in 1982, in Australia at the Commonwealth Games.”

As the photo displays, the queen smiled as he hugged her and it was most likely her entourage that was more disturbed by the hug, than she herself.