Expert weighs in as Donald Trump is accused of breaching royal protocol with 'disgraceful' act to King Charles
Topics: Donald Trump, Royal Family, News, UK News
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Royal Family, News, UK News
A royal expert has weighed on whether Donald Trump broke protocol or not during his ongoing UK visit.
Trump is currently in the UK on a short trip to see King Charles and Queen Camilla.
He was greeted by Kate Middleton and Prince William in Windsor, with the future King of England going on to present him to his father, King Charles III.
The British Royal Family have pulled out all the stops for Trump and First Lady Melania, and around 1,500 troops are thought to have been involved in the ceremonial events throughout the day – almost double those on duty for the recent state visit of France’s President Emmanuel Macron.
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At one stage, Trump and the King carried out a military inspection where Trump was seen walking ahead of Charles.
People were quick to suggest that the president was 'disrespectful' for walking in front of the King, and that he actually broke royal protocol.
Former royal butler Grant Harrold has since weighed in on this and revealed whether or not the POTUS actually did anything wrong.
Speaking on behalf of OLGBG, Harrold shared with UNILAD: "Contrary to reports during Trump’s first State Visit to the UK, it’s not actually a breach of royal protocol to walk in front of royals.
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"If you look back at previous State Visits, you see the likes of Clinton walking in front of Prince Philip. It’s the visiting Head of State who is receiving the military welcome, so it’s not unusual for them to be front and centre."
Harrold, who worked for the British monarchy for over seven years, further noted: "In terms of etiquette generally, Trump is the guest and this inspection is for him. Therefore it’s polite for the King to let his guest walk ahead and get the full impact of this powerful piece of British military tradition."
The former royal butler also weighed in on Trump and First Lady Melania failing to curtsy to the royals.
"It’s important to remember that certain royal rules - including bowing and curtsying - only apply to people in the UK and the Commonwealth," Harrold revealed, adding: "You bow to the title, not the person. So Trump doesn’t actually need to bow to the King."
You learn something new everyday!