Christian Horner has confirmed in his new book Drive that his wife, Geri Halliwell, broke royal protocol when she met King Charles in 1997. The former Red Bull team principal shared the story as part of his personal life, recounting the incident that took place during the Spice Girls era.
At the time, Halliwell and her bandmates met the then-Prince of Wales at the premiere of their film Spice World. Reports at the time suggested she had pinched the royal's backside, though she maintained she had merely patted it.
The 1997 Incident and Its Aftermath
In 2016, Halliwell told The Times: "Patting him on the bottom was against royal protocol but we're all human." Now, a decade later, Horner has corroborated her account in his book.
Horner wrote that the incident was "entirely in keeping with the person who, in 1997, had hugged Nelson Mandela and, later that year, famously ignored royal protocol by patting Prince (later King) Charles on the backside at a Prince's Trust gala."
Meeting and First Impressions
Christian and Geri first met in 2009 at the Monaco Grand Prix, but the singer made a strong impression on their second encounter at a lunch also attended by Roger Taylor from Queen and Richard Jones from Stereophonics.
Horner wrote: "Geri immediately put everyone at ease. She teased Richard about why he had his name tattooed across his neck ('I don't know,' he replied), and the conversation flowed effortlessly. She had a natural warmth and confidence, and she treated everyone the same, whether they were royalty or a road sweeper."
First Date and Early Relationship
Horner said he could tell there was something between them even then, though they did not act on it immediately. It was only in 2014 that they went on their first date, and the ex-Red Bull chief insisted it could not have gone better.
He added: "On our first date, I remember being at dinner, looking at my watch and realising we'd been chatting for hours. At times, it had felt like we were the only people in the restaurant. When I walked Geri to her car, I noticed she had three different satnavs on the dashboard of her Lexus. The exterior was a war zone and from what I could tell, there wasn't an undented panel on the body work. It looked like the Millennium Falcon."
He also noted: "Despite working in Formula One, I was still naive to how the world of celebrity media worked. I hadn't yet been exposed to the notoriety that Drive to Survive would bring."
Potential Move to Ferrari
The couple could find themselves relocating in the not-too-distant future, with Horner refusing to rule out a move to Ferrari. "At this stage in my life, there's only one team for which I would accept non-participation in ownership," the 52-year-old told The Times in September. "Would I consider Ferrari? I mean, Ferrari is the biggest brand in Formula 1. It's the dream. And arguably it's the sleeping giant of Formula 1."
According to The Mail, Geri would be open to moving to Italy if her husband does indeed receive an offer from the Scuderia. The couple have homes in London and Oxfordshire, and she would reportedly consider dividing her time between the UK and a new home on the continent.
