President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, are all set for their highly anticipated 3-day trip to the UK this week. The upcoming meeting between the leaders of both nations marks a significant event in history as the UK is stepping out of its long-held diplomatic traditions by inviting Trump for his second state visit.
The meeting is crucial as major agendas concerning Britain’s foreign and economic policies are to be discussed. King Charles hopes to influence the US President on two key issues: the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the tariffs placed by Trump on UK exports.
However, the meeting can’t be devoid of controversy, especially given the well-documented history of chaos that unfolded during Trump’s first state visit in 2019. For the unaware, Trump is said to have broken a royal protocol by placing his hand on Queen Elizabeth II’s back while she prepared to deliver a toast at a banquet in Buckingham Palace. According to the royal customs, the monarch shouldn’t be touched unless he/she offer their hand first.
However, the embarrassment wasn’t limited to this particular incident. In another instance, Trump was seen casually walking in front of the Queen while inspecting the guard of honor at Windsor Castle. It is a known tradition that the monarch always leads the way, but Trump, being his usual self, decided to walk ahead of her while the Queen was clearly struggling to keep up.
Here’s the cringe worthy moment when worldwide embarrassment, Donald Trump, walked in front of Queen Elizabeth. 🤦🏻 pic.twitter.com/OocRhA2mjZ
— Canada Hates Trump (@AntiTrumpCanada) September 8, 2022
While most world leaders used to greet the Queen with the traditional bow, Donald and Melania Trump decided to do things their own way. They greeted the monarch with handshakes. Though there’s no strict protocol around the same, people prefer to greet the King/Queen with a bow as per tradition. The handshake by the Trumps was seen as a sign of disrespect, and people haven’t really forgotten about it.
Talk about the blunders, and Trump’s name somehow always makes it to the list!
Melania, however, believes that the blunders won’t be repeated. If a report by the Irish Star is to be believed, the First Lady is “acutely aware” of the “embarrassing moment.” She is also reportedly confident that “nothing will go wrong” during their upcoming trip.
Well, if Melania is aware of the ‘problems’ and has acknowledged the same, we can believe her words. The keen observers would know that Melania often keeps her husband in check whenever they make joint public appearances.
Trump rubbishes claims that Queen Elizabeth II found him ‘rude’: ‘I was her favorite president’.
‘We spent hours together at a state dinner. She was a fantastic woman. I think it’s a shame that a sleazebag can write an article that’s totally false.’#Trump #Royals pic.twitter.com/AWaitZWbub
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) August 22, 2024
However, the chances of Trump’s visit going smoothly are quite slim. Ahead of the trip, a giant picture of Donald Trump and late convict Jeffrey Epstein was unveiled outside Windsor Castle. So basically, even though Trump will fly out of the US, the scandal won’t leave his back even for a moment. Trump is often seen agitated whenever he is asked about the Epstein files, and a protest already seems to be brewing in the US.
When the Vice President visited Europe a few weeks ago, protests were organized over the Trump administration’s positions on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. The crowd made it clear with signboards that read: “Bullies not welcome here.”
People held signs of bald Vance, while some mocked his intellect by suggesting, “JD Vance’s Netflix password is password.”
Won’t Trump be greeted with similar treatment in the UK? Well, your guess is as good as ours!
But despite the blunders during the previous visit and the ongoing unrest, the Royal Family’s preparations to welcome him are at full swing. The Royals will host Donald and Melania Trump, along with 160 guests, on Wednesday at a lavish banquet in Windsor Castle’s St. George’s Hall.
