Overview
- Televised footage shows one guard sway and fall against a pillar while another collapsed out of camera view during the welcome at the Élysée Palace, with images and video circulating widely.
- President Emmanuel Macron and aides rushed to check the stricken guard and security personnel carried both men away before the formal greeting continued, footage and photo reports show.
- A French presidential source told reporters both guards had suffered "fainting attacks" and were swiftly cared for, though no independent medical cause has been released.
- Coverage and experts note that standing rigidly for long periods in heavy ceremonial uniforms and locked knees can cause orthostatic fainting, a likely explanation cited by several outlets.
- The state visit proceeded and Slovak President Peter Pellegrini later posted about talks on energy security, Ukraine and nuclear cooperation, while public attention remains on the guards' condition and ceremonial safety.