Donald Trump arrives in London on Tuesday evening for a state visit alongside his wife Melania. Invited by King Charles III, the American president will try to improve his image and, above all, to forget his first visit in 2019 which caused many teeth to grind at Buckingham Palace.
Remember: Trump left Queen Elizabeth II to wait twelve long minutes under a 27 degree sun. At 92 years old, the monarch obviously did not appreciate it. And that was just the beginning: an unwelcome handshake (prohibited by protocol), Melania forgetting the obligatory bow and the icing on the cake: during the review of the royal guard, the American president walks past the queen, taken aback. Result? The next day, the British press crucified him for his lack of elegance.
“Very rude”
Craig Brown, in his book “A Voyage Around The Queen”, even says that the late sovereign had confided to having found Trump “very rude”, hating his habit of “looking over his shoulder as if he were looking for someone more interesting”. Not really the meeting of the century…
This time, Donald Trump will have to avoid the faux pas and charm Charles III. So, protocol respected? Calibrated handshake? Reverence for Melania? Answer soon.
