Emmanuel Macron was left slightly overwhelmed by the generosity of the locals during a trip to a remote Pacific island.
Pictures showed the French president with at least a dozen wreaths made up of seashells and flowers placed around his neck.
Visiting Manihi Island in French Polynesia, Mr Macron was visibly weighed down by the amount of gifts bestowed upon him by local officials.
It prompted some to share photoshopped pictures of the president covered head-to-toe in wreaths, comparing him to a Christmas tree and the May Queen.
The French president did appear to be going for some sort of new record as the garlands kept on being placed around his neck before an aide politely started to remove some of them.
Mr Macron will be pleased of the warm welcome as his first trip to the archipelago of more than 100 islands has proven controversial due to the history of French nuclear testing in the area.
Nearly 200 tests were conducted by France on the atolls of Moruroa and Fangataufa from 1966 to 1996, leading to an increase in cancer rates in the area.
Protests were held in advance of the French president’s visit amid calls for an official apology from the government and a mass compensation scheme.
Mr Macron has also focused on rising seas due to global warming and discussing the French overseas territory’s strategic role during the visit.
The visit to Manihi saw the president and his officials visit the site of an anti-tsunami shelter that’s being built.
He announced plans to co-finance the construction of 17 more shelters in the Tuamotu and Gambier Islands.
He said: ‘We are talking about your lives when we speak about the consequences of global warming and how these changes impact your lives and the lives of your children. We are talking about today and not tomorrow.’
John Drollet, Manihi mayor, said local residents didn’t want to be ‘the first French eco-refugees’ and children ‘want to continue living on the land of their ancestors.’
He said plans for the new shelters were ‘of the utmost importance to us.’
Mr Macron is hoping to be elected for a second term as president of France in a nationwide poll scheduled for April next year.
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