Time for tea
Donald Trump meets Queen Elizabeth and it goes smoothly despite some breaches in protocol.
LONDON: Queen Elizabeth II welcomed US President Donald Trump for tea at Windsor Castle – a meeting which many Britons find the toughest part of his already contentious trip to swallow.
The 92-year-old monarch was forced at one point to walk around the US president after he halted abruptly during a ceremonial inspection of the guard.
Trump’s first visit to Britain as president was not the full state visit he was originally promised, but he was heralded by military bands on his arrival at Windsor on Friday, before he and First Lady Melania went into the castle for tea with the queen.
The queen greeted the pair with a smile, although she had earlier glanced at her watch as she waited for their arrival.
While inspecting the guard at Windsor, Elizabeth appeared to give direction to Trump but then he abruptly halted and Elizabeth was forced to walk around him.
Trump also did not bow when he met the monarch but the meeting went smoothly.
Trump was gracious when speaking about the British sovereign.
“She is a tremendous woman. I think she represents her country so well,” he said, adding: “If you think of it, for so many years she has represented her country, she has really never made a mistake. You don’t see, like, anything embarrassing. She is just an incredible woman.”
He also talked about how his mother, who was born in Scotland, loved the royal family and all things pomp and pageantry.
“My mother loved the queen. Any time the queen was on television, my mother wanted to watch it,” said Trump.
However, his previous comments about the royals have been less tactful, including boasting he would have slept with Diana, princess of Wales “without even hesitation”, and saying “who wouldn’t” photograph the Duchess of Cambridge topless. Queen Elizabeth has now met every US president since Dwight Eisenhower with the exception of Lyndon Johnson.
One of her favourite guests was probably Ronald Reagan, who shared her passion for horses and went for a ride with the queen.