Following societal norms and traditions has rarely been a trademark of Donald Trump. The U.S. president often gets himself in hot water as a result, and his current trip to the U.K. has already generated controversy for the choices he and his wife, Melania, made.
Donald and the first lady were greeted by the Royal Family, including King Charles and Queen Camilla on Wednesday at Windsor Castle. Prince William and Kate Middleton were also on hand. The King and Queen are traditionally greeted with a bow and a curtsy as a sign of respect, but neither received that from the president or the first lady.
Instead, there were handshakes exchanged between them, something that caught the attention of many viewers. Whether or not the presidential family crossed a line by not doing the traditional thing is up for debate.
Donald Trump doesn’t technically have to bow to King Charles or the Royal Family
Wednesday’s greetings with the Royal Family wouldn’t be the first time the president has been labelled as disrespectful. While people will have varying opinions on whether the president and first lady were out of line with their greetings, neither broke any rules. They were acting as they can.
According to the Royal Family’s official website: “There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms.” Tradition typically involves a man performing a neck bow from the head only, and a woman making a small curtsy.
It isn’t the first time Donald has opted for a handshake rather than a more formal greeting. In 2018, he shook hands with Queen Elizabeth II. A year later, he notably put his hand on the Queen’s back at the state banquet.
The president is meeting Prime Minister Keir Starmer today at his Chequers residence. There are no traditional greetings when meeting a politician.
TELL US – DO YOU BELIEVE THE PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY’S GREETINGS WERE DISRESPECTFUL?
