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By Jack Royston
Chief Royal Correspondent
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President Donald Trump was criticized for "walking [in front] of the king, like Charles doesn't even exist or matter" during his state visit to Britain—though Newsweek understands he followed the intended order.
The U.S. president was welcomed to Windsor Castle by King Charles III and was treated to a royal carriage procession and official welcome ceremony.
The pair inspected a guard of honor together, and Charles was filmed walking alone some distance behind Trump, prompting comments on social media.
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Narinder Kaur, a former Big Brother star in the U.K. and prominent TV commentator, wrote on X: "Oh god..he's walking infront of the King, like Charles doesn't even exist or matter!"
But a royal source told Newsweek it is protocol for the visiting head of state to always go first.
Elsewhere, some U.K. newspapers accused Trump of breaching protocol by slapping William on the arm when he shook his hand.
Donald Trump Walks in Front of King Charles
The term "royal protocol" usually refers to the formal written-down rules governing interactions with the family, though guests of the monarchy are sometimes also criticized for breaking more informal etiquette conventions.
Whether or not Trump was wrong to walk in front of Charles largely depends on how the choreography for the inspection of the guard of honor was planned.
In reality, Newsweek has been told it was protocol for Trump to go first, as is the case for all visiting heads of state.
And in separate footage shows of the pair on the Royal Dais in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle, Charles did appear to beckon the president in front of him.
Trump therefore did not breach either protocol or etiquette—though commentators are still free to remark on whether the optics look bad.
One reason greater attention was paid to this moment may well be that Trump was considered to have breached protocol during a previous visit to Britain where he stopped in front of Queen Elizabeth II, forcing her to maneuver past him.
Donald Trump Slaps William's Arm
U.K. tabloids the Daily Express and Daily Mirror were among those to suggest Trump broke protocol with Prince William minutes after stepping off the Marine One helicopter in Windsor.
A more formal greeting would have been a bow, but in the modern world William has many informal introductions featuring handshakes, hugs and more.
In fact, during one royal engagement in October 2023, he was standing for a group photo and joked: "Who is pinching my bottom?"
He is therefore unlikely to have so much as batted an eyelid over being slapped on the arm by Trump.
The royal family's official website does, though, give the following guidance for meeting the royals: "There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms.
"For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way."
Do you have a question about King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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