Protocol Questions Around Trump
Elsewhere during the visit, Trump himself drew attention when he walked ahead of King Charles alongside one of the palace guards. UK television personality Narinder Kaur criticized the moment, saying: “Oh god… he’s walking in front of the King, like Charles doesn’t even exist or matter!”
Buckingham Palace later clarified that visiting heads of state are customarily permitted to walk in front of the monarch, denying that any breach of etiquette had occurred.
Still, debate over protocol did not end there. The Express reported that Trump gave Prince William a friendly pat on the arm while shaking his hand — an informal gesture technically considered outside royal protocol. The paper noted, however, that William is unlikely to have minded, as he does not hold to tradition as strictly as past generations.
Protests at Windsor and Beyond
Beyond the palace walls, Trump’s presence in Britain sparked widespread dissent. The Stop Trump Coalition organized a large protest in London, drawing thousands of demonstrators. Meanwhile, closer to Windsor Castle, several individuals were arrested after projecting an image of Trump with the late Jeffrey Epstein onto the historic building.
The arrests, combined with the protests and the scrutiny of Trump’s behavior with the royals, underscored how charged the American president’s UK visit has become.
