Trump criticized for walking ahead of Queen Camilla: "Disrespectful" and "Embarrassing" - VIDEO
US President Donald Trump sparked a royal protocol stir after stepping in front of Queen Camilla while she was greeting officials at the White House, leaving her momentarily taken aback.
US President Donald Trump committed an awkward royal blunder when he walked in front of Queen Camilla while she was greeting officials during a White House event, News.Az reports, citing India Today.
On Tuesday, Queen Camilla and King Charles III returned to the White House after a private welcome from Donald Trump and the first lady. A long line of US officials stood waiting on the South Lawn.
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Television footage showed the 78-year-old queen immediately beginning to shake hands. She greeted Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.At that moment, Donald Trump stepped in and began shaking hands directly in front of the queen. She appeared slightly taken aback. As he greeted Yvette Cooper, the queen stepped back, stopped greeting officials, and watched him finish.
King Charles III also became caught in the apparent breach of royal protocol. At one point, he reached out to shake a hand, but Donald Trump grabbed it first. The king’s hand lingered briefly in the air before he withdrew, and the group then moved inside.
The official website of the British monarchy states that there are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting members of the royal family. However, accepted practices exist, including a widely observed norm against walking in front of the king or queen.
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This incident marks the second time Donald Trump has drawn attention for such a breach. During his state visit to the United Kingdom in June 2018, he walked ahead of Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. At the time, the then 92-year-old monarch greeted him after he arrived 12 minutes late. As they inspected the Queen’s Guard, she appeared to gesture him forward. He walked ahead and then abruptly stopped, forcing her to sidestep around him.
The incident drew criticism from the British public and royal experts. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told CNN that Donald Trump looked like he “might as well have been wandering up and down a golf course.” He added that the confusion “gave the impression of dis-coordination” and suggested that Trump did not rehearse because he believed he did not need to.
Following that visit, Donald Trump claimed that Queen Elizabeth II had reviewed her honour guard for the first time in 70 years. However, she had been on the throne for 66 years at the time and regularly reviewed guards of honour, making the source of his claim unclear.
He said after the meeting that she was “a terrific person” and described the interaction as inspiring, adding that the relationship was a good one.
By Leyla Şirinova
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