How US presidents violated British royal protocol. Details

The behavior of US President Donald Trump during his second state visit to the UK became the object of close attention — especially after his first meeting with the royal family, when he violated several norms of behavior at once. This time there were also some incidents. Izvestia picked up incidents from previous years and recalled the gaffes of other American leaders.

Trump left the king behind

• During the second state visit of US President Donald Trump to the United Kingdom, he received widespread attention. This is due to the fact that during a visit in 2018, he was accused of violating royal protocol. Then, after having tea with Queen Elizabeth II, he turned his back on her and walked like that for a while, forcing the monarch to follow him.

• During this visit, Trump walked around and left behind King Charles III during the review of the guard of honor. At the same time, protocol requires the guest to follow the monarch.

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• Trump and his wife Melania arrived 20 minutes late at Windsor Castle, where they were greeted by Prince William and Princess Kate. Because of this, the Trump couple's meeting with King Charles III and Queen Camilla I was postponed. Being late for a meeting with the royal family is a violation of protocol.

• The handshake between Trump and Princess Kate is also very unusual, but according to experts, this cannot be considered something wrong, since Kate is not the queen. Trump also admired the beauty of the princess at the meeting — such a comment fits into the framework of protocol, although it can be attributed to non-compliance with unofficial rules of personal diplomacy. Such remarks about the appearance of members of the royal family are not accepted.

• During the greetings, Trump patted Charles III on the back several times — such gestures towards the king are already a clear violation of etiquette, going beyond the bounds of decency.

• At a meeting with the royal family at Windsor Castle, the head of the first lady of the United States, Melania Trump, was decorated with a purple wide—brimmed hat - the body language expert explained that she preferred this accessory to hide and not attract attention. At the banquet, Melania Trump wore a long yellow off-the-shoulder dress, cinched at the waist with a lilac belt, which fully met the standards of the reception.

Biden did not take off his glasses and revealed the topic of the conversation with the queen.

• Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, was also criticized for not following etiquette. In 2023, the US president arrived at Windsor Castle for his first official meeting with the new monarch, Charles III, and patted him on the shoulder after shaking hands. Etiquette experts then explained that a handshake greeting was acceptable (and it should be initiated by the monarch), but hugs and other touches were not.

• Two years earlier, Biden met with the late Queen Elizabeth II and did not take off his sunglasses during the conversation. The royal family's website does not indicate that glasses should not be worn during a meeting with the queen, but the butler who served in the palace said this was a violation of tradition.

• Experts also discussed whether Biden had gone beyond the bounds when he later revealed the topic of the conversation with Elizabeth II. He said that the queen had asked his opinion about Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. There is no strict prohibition to disclose what the queen says, but it contradicts established norms.

Michelle Obama hugged the Queen

In 2009, a real stir was caused by the act of Michelle Obama, who, together with her husband Barack Obama, who was then president of the United States, visited Buckingham Palace for the first time. Then she allowed herself to hug Queen Elizabeth II. In her memoirs, Obama later wrote that when they met with the monarch, they became close, discussed uncomfortable shoes, and sympathized with each other. Then, to support the queen, Obama put her hand on her back. According to her, she later realized that she had made a mistake, but noticed that Elizabeth did not pull away, but also hugged her.

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Carter insulted the Queen Mother

• The most serious violation was committed by President Jimmy Carter, who kissed Queen Mother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon on the lips. It happened during Carter's stay at Buckingham Palace in May 1977. No photos of the offending moment were taken then, but the Queen Mother later spoke about this unpleasant moment. According to her, she noticed that Carter bent down for a kiss and unsuccessfully tried to dodge. She noted that no one has done this since her husband died. The Queen Mother's husband, King George VI, died in 1952.

Did the monarchs violate etiquette

• The rules of royal protocol are no longer as strict as they used to be. For example, the official website of the royal family states that when meeting with the king and queen, there are no mandatory codes of conduct — there are only recommendations.

Elizabeth II violated the rules of her own protocol at least nine times. For example, former royal chef Darren McGrady recalled that the queen invited him to drink whiskey with his family for Christmas. At the same time, those who are not members of the royal family are usually prohibited from entering the dining room.

• Michelle Obama also spoke about Queen Elizabeth II's unexpected approach to protocol issues. She shared that she was very worried before meeting with the monarch in 2016. And while Obama was going over the rules of etiquette in her head, Elizabeth told her that protocol was nonsense.

• During Barack Obama's visit to the UK, the Queen wanted to meet him and his wife in her own car, which baffled the US Secret Service, which rejected such an idea. As a result, the decision had to be made by Obama himself, and he went to meet the host side halfway. Then, for the first time during his tenure as an American leader, he was not driving in a bulletproof car, but in a Range Rover driven by Prince Philip.