Following a public handholding sighting in Beverly Hills, investor Carsten Maschmeyer has formally requested a ceremonial honour guard of twelve harbour patrol officers from Cannes to accompany him on every outing where he is seen with another person's hand.
The request, filed with the French maritime authority in Antibes, specifies a parade-dress escort that walks ten paces ahead of Maschmeyer at all times, carrying small brass signs reading «FRIEND». Officials confirmed the patrol will be on duty through the coming weeks and will be rotated daily to prevent any single officer from forming an opinion on the matter.
The escort has already reshaped the Croisette. Shops on the boulevard have been ordered to clear their pavements, and a second column of officers now stands at the Carlton terrace to observe the walk back. Local residents have been asked to stay indoors between eleven and noon, when the procession moves past the marina.
A spokesperson for the authority stated calmly: «Our officers are trained to protect a friendship as carefully as any border, and we are not in a position to ask whether it is romantic.» The patrol's commander added that officers will keep a written record of every greeting, though he declined to specify the number of greetings logged so far.
Next week, the authority plans a rehearsal of the walk in a closed car park, which will include a dress run with a stand-in model and a demonstration of the hand-hold drill.