Trump Embarrasses America with Multiple Breaches of Royal Protocol
Oops he did it again. Donald Trump sparked controversy again as he appeared to break royal protocol several times on his second state visit to the UK, hosted by King Charles III.
Oops, he did it again. Donald Trump sparked controversy again as he appeared to break royal protocol several times on his second state visit to the UK, hosted by King Charles III.
The trip includes royal ceremonies at Windsor Castle and meetings with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“However, the visit quickly sparked controversy after Trump appeared to breach royal protocol twice—touching both Prince William and King Charles on the arm after handshakes, a move considered inappropriate under royal guidelines, which permit only a standard handshake. Footage also shows Trump walking in front of King Charles while inspecting the Household Division—another break from traditional royal etiquette. According to media reports, Trump also told Princess Catherine, “You’re so beautiful, so.” These moments have raised eyebrows among royal watchers and diplomatic observers alike,” AFP reported below their video.
The worst part about this is Donald Trump knows better, because he made the same mistake in a 2018 visit to Windsor Castle, when he walked in front of Queen Elizabeth II while they inspected the Guard of Honor, prompting widespread criticism and social media commentary about a breach of royal protocol.
Trump is apparently one of those people who not only doesn’t learn from other people’s experiences, but also does not learn from his own.
Here he is touching the King’s arm, which is an American thing to do but still, as someone on his second term who has already had a state visit to the UK previously, he should know better by now. Also, for Trump’s defenders, there are actually people who know these things who brief world leaders before visits. There really isn’t an excuse on his second state visit.
Trump also told Princess Kate Middleton that she was beautiful. She seemed pleased, but then that is her job. How can we explain this man to the British? He thinks it’s a compliment to be desired by him. We are sorry.
Trump also focuses on people’s appearances a lot, a habit that has resulted in “Mar-a-Lago face” becoming a rather frightening plastic surgery trend in the US. In December 2024, he told The New York Post of Prince William, “He’s a good looking guy. He looked really, very handsome last night.”
It might be that the Royal Family is so eager to prove that they still have soft diplomacy power that they don’t care about the president’s breach of royal protocol.
But is it too much to ask that Americans care about respecting diplomacy enough that they want a president who can meet other leaders without humiliating the country? Because he has, once again, humiliated this country.
And it’s not just that he’s so predictable that they knew to give him a very showy-but-protected tourist version of a state visit sans actual people because the president had to be “locked in” away from the people who do not like him, but also that he is unapologetically everything Europeans loathe about Americans. He’s loud, he doesn’t try to learn about or respect other cultures, he has bad taste, he’s vulgar, he takes over, he’s rude…
In case you’re not convinced, a British paper announced, “The Ego has landed”:
It’s not good. Dare we hope that he hasn’t brought faux gold fixtures for one of their castles?
Donald Trump has always wished he were a dictator king, and so the Royal Family hid him away from the protesters on the private grounds of Windsor to put on a photo-op show for a party of one — plus the international media, whose job it is to sell the version of popular, fêted Trump to the world without the context that it was carefully managed stagecraft to avoid reality.
It might appear to those watching that Trump got an incredible reception, but of course it only looks that way because they hid him away from the protests in London and arrested the people who were streaming photos of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle before his arrival.
The Royal Family is doing the dance of appeasement to a very powerful oaf, with whom they seem oddly enamored even outside of the power he wields over them. Obsequiousness of this level demands tolerating rudeness and ignorance, and so they are soldiering on.
Still… we are sorry.
They knew he is like this why did they expect him to act differently?? He never respects others he makes up what he wants to do and does it. The royals should never have agreed to have him!
King Charles knows what kind of person trump is. King Charles deserves everything Trump does. I can’t understand why he had Trump for a visit!