The Real Reason Melania Trump Didn’t Curtsy to Charles After Being Accused of Having ‘No Class’ For Doing the Same to the Queen
There are always a lot of rules to follow when meeting the British royal family, and some of them can get confusing. With US President Donald Trump now in the UK alongside his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, there’s been a lot of focus on how the first meeting between the two and King Charles and Queen Camilla went. What happened when they met?
President Trump and First Lady Melania were received by the Prince and Princess of Wales after Marine One landed on the grounds of Windsor Castle. The two then walked with William and Kate to be officially welcomed by King Charles and Queen Camilla. But one thing people are remarking on is that, when meeting the two, President Trump and Melania Trump did not bow or curtsy. Is that a breach of protocol?
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The royal family’s official website says it’s not. “There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms,” the website states, explaining, “For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way.”
It’s important to remember that President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump already met with a British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. Trump met Queen Elizabeth in 2018, and did not bow then, just shook her hand. In 2019, he was welcomed on his first state visit by the Queen. Back then, controversy erupted over the President stepping in front of the Queen during the inspection of the Guard of Honour at Windsor, and after putting her hand on the Queen’s back during the state banquet, which was also seen as a breach of protocol.
President Trump did the same in his meeting with King Charles, walking ahead of him during the inspection of the Guard of Honour. However, palace sources told the Daily Mail this was not a breach of protocol, either. Instead, they indicated the King had made a point of inviting the president to walk in front of him. That was the same explanation given when President Trump did the same during his last state visit.
People weren’t convinced then, and they aren’t convinced now, because the internet will never not make a big deal out of something like this. A fan said on X back in 2018, “They made right FOOLS OF THEMSELVES BOTH OF THEM. No bowing by Trump and no curtsy from Melania – just fucking handshakes! Then he doesn’t go behind the queen, makes her having to go round him and when she gets on his side he doesn’t notice and carries on. NO CLASS AT ALL,” while another one added, “Melania really stood in front of the queen and didn’t even curtsy wtf. And of course Trumps ignorant ass didn’t even bow either.”
The response is pretty much the same now, even with the explanations. “Trump did not bow to King Charles. Protocol shattered. The answer is written in plain sight who walks ahead, inspects the guard, and takes the place of honour? That is the king,” someone said on X, with someone else remarking “Oh god..he’s walking infront of the King, like Charles doesn’t even exist or matter!”
It seems like, even if the official answer is that neither President Trump nor First Lady Melania broke protocol, some people are still pretty upset about the way things transpired.
