The US president quickly faced accusations of violating royal protocol during King Charles III’s state visit.
On Monday, April 27, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania received the King and Queen Consort Camilla at The White House on the opening day of their state visit. Trump offered the King a strong handshake while the First Lady greeted the Queen with kisses on both cheeks. The two couples then stood for photographs as they shared brief comments before the media.
Once the photo session concluded, they prepared to enter the White House’s main residence for a garden party. As Trump pivoted to walk inside, he tapped the King on the shoulder. Some observers suggested this unexpected gesture violated royal protocol against initiating physical contact.
Yet, according to the Royal Family’s official website, there are no mandatory rules of conduct when meeting the King, Queen or other members of the Royal Family.
The website clarifies, “The King and Queen meet thousands of people each year in the UK and overseas. Before meeting Their Majesties, many people ask how they should behave. The simple answer is that there are no obligatory codes of behavior – just courtesy,” reports The Mirror.
Body language analyst Judi James also shared with the Daily Mail, “This touch on the arm as they walked in also looked like a more political gesture. It was also the first real gesture of active, ‘special’ friendship here from a rather more subdued Trump than the very effusive rituals we saw during their last meeting [in September 2025].
“Charles has always seemed more relaxed about that than his mother [Queen Elizabeth II], and Trump’s gesture was extremely tempered for Trump. Just a light, tentative, and rather polite touch to steer Charles inside,” James noted.
She observed that the handshake between the two men lasted approximately eight seconds and seemed professional, while Melania introduced a more casual atmosphere to the reception.
“This initial greeting ritual gave the surface impression of geniality, and the cheek kisses from Melania created the impression of warmth, with an almost ‘family’ style approach,” James remarked.
The royal couple faces a full itinerary. On the second day of their visit, the King and Queen will be formally welcomed to the United States with a military ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House.
Charles will then address Congress, marking only the second time a British monarch has done so, after his mother in 1991.
In his remarks, the King will urge President Trump to “come together” with Britain and allied nations to forge peace across the globe.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
