Lexigeek

Despite the new sombre, presidential manner which had been promised on terra firma, in the carriage he was chatting eagerly to the Queen, hands gesticulating, fingers pointing and tanned face smiling and nodding. Never mind the promise to look more like a straight-faced Francois Mitterrand or Charles de Gaulle, this was vintage Sarko. He had not lost the quirk that he likes playing on with protocol: the boyish glee of his "son-of immigrant made good" persona, a smile that seemed to be saying: "Look at me! I'm at the castle!"

Sarkozy, despite a standing ovation for his grand Westminster speech, appeared in more modest form yesterday than when he declared after a campaign visit to London: "They haven't seen the like of this since the Beatles."

Carla was perfect. Sarko was, despite his best efforts, Sarko.