Emmanuel Macron’s office has admitted that his wife Brigitte hit him during a row, after footage showed the First Lady appearing to push his face away as their plane touched down in Vietnam.

Shocking video of the incident, shot by the Associated Press news agency in Hanoi on Sunday evening, shows the French President’s plane door opening to reveal him.

His wife Brigitte’s arms then emerge from the left of the open doorway as she places both hands on her husband’s face and gives it a shove.

The president appears startled but quickly recovers and turns to wave through the open door.

She remains concealed by the aircraft body, making it impossible to see her facial expression or body language.

The couple then proceed down the staircase for the official welcome by Vietnamese officials, though Brigitte Macron does not take her husband’s offered arm.

Macron’s office initially denied the authenticity of the images, before they were confirmed as genuine.

A close associate of the president later described the incident as a couple’s harmless ‘squabble’.