Despite recent claims made in the upcoming biography ‘A Voyage Around the Queen by Craig Brown’ that Queen Elizabeth II found former president Donald Trump “very rude” during his visits, a former Buckingham Palace official has said that the late monarch considered Trump and his family to be “gracious” and “wonderful guests.”
The upcoming biography has alleged that the Queen had said to her staff that she was irritated by Trump’s behavior during their meetings, particularly his habit of looking over her shoulder, as if searching for someone more interesting.
However, a former aide with close knowledge of the Queen’s views said that these claims are untrue. The aide mentioned that after Trump’s state visit, the Queen told him she found the Trumps to be very gracious and wonderful guests to have in the palace, according to a New York Post report.
Queen hosted Trump twice during his presidency
During Trump’s presidency, Queen Elizabeth II hosted him in the UK twice: first on a working trip in July 2018, and then for a state visit in June 2019, during which he was accompanied by his wife Melania and four of his children.
The biography also suggests that the Queen privately criticised Trump during a lunch, calling him “very rude” and questioning his marriage to Melania. However, the palace source refuted this, saying that the Queen was always discreet in her private lunches and would not make such remarks.
‘Queen wasn’t interested in strict adherence to protocol’
Trump’s visits were not without protocol missteps, including walking in front of the Queen at Windsor Castle and placing his hand on her back during a state banquet, according to the aide. However, the former aide emphasised that the Queen was more concerned with making her guests feel comfortable than with strict adherence to protocol.
Queen’s gifts to Trumps
During the state visit, the Queen gifted Trump an abridged first edition of Winston Churchill’s book on World War II and presented Melania with a specially commissioned silver box, reflecting her thoughtful approach to hosting.
The upcoming biography has alleged that the Queen had said to her staff that she was irritated by Trump’s behavior during their meetings, particularly his habit of looking over her shoulder, as if searching for someone more interesting.
However, a former aide with close knowledge of the Queen’s views said that these claims are untrue. The aide mentioned that after Trump’s state visit, the Queen told him she found the Trumps to be very gracious and wonderful guests to have in the palace, according to a New York Post report.
Queen hosted Trump twice during his presidency
During Trump’s presidency, Queen Elizabeth II hosted him in the UK twice: first on a working trip in July 2018, and then for a state visit in June 2019, during which he was accompanied by his wife Melania and four of his children.
The biography also suggests that the Queen privately criticised Trump during a lunch, calling him “very rude” and questioning his marriage to Melania. However, the palace source refuted this, saying that the Queen was always discreet in her private lunches and would not make such remarks.
‘Queen wasn’t interested in strict adherence to protocol’
Trump’s visits were not without protocol missteps, including walking in front of the Queen at Windsor Castle and placing his hand on her back during a state banquet, according to the aide. However, the former aide emphasised that the Queen was more concerned with making her guests feel comfortable than with strict adherence to protocol.
Queen’s gifts to Trumps
During the state visit, the Queen gifted Trump an abridged first edition of Winston Churchill’s book on World War II and presented Melania with a specially commissioned silver box, reflecting her thoughtful approach to hosting.