Donald Trump warned over 'breaking royal protocol' with King Charles on US state visit
The king and queen will arrive in America on MondayUS President Donald Trump has been issued a warning over his behaviour towards King Charles ahead of a state visit.
The king, 77, embarks on a state visit to the United States on Monday alongside his wife, Queen Camilla. The trip is going ahead despite security concerns following Saturday’s shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Washington DC. Trump and First Lady Melania were rushed out of the dinner as gunshots rang out.
But with the trip going ahead, Charles and Camilla will soon arrive in America.
However, ahead of the trip, President Trump has been warned about breaking royal protocol by a former royal staffer.
Donald Trump warned about ‘breaking protocol’ with King Charles on US state visit
Former royal butler Grant Harrold has offered his advice to Trump, saying he should “look, but don’t touch” when greeting Charles and Camilla.
Trump has been accused of breaking protocol with some members of the royal family before.
Speaking exclusively to Action Network, Harrold, who worked with King Charles between 2004 and 2011, said: “Every time Donald Trump meets the royal family, he manages to break protocol. It’s happened so many times now, I think we can almost guarantee there’ll be a breach of protocol again.
“Most likely it’ll be Trump doing the wrong handshake or putting his hands on the king, or even dare I say hugging a member of the family. So it’ll be interesting to see what happens this time.”
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‘Leave the king alone’
He continued: “My advice to the Trumps would be to look, but don’t touch. As simple as that. Look, smile, be gracious, but please do not touch. Leave the king alone.
“Donald and Melania don’t need to bow or curtsy as they are not British. However the president could do with working on his handshake, dignifying it a bit.
“It should be two or three pumps with your hands to the side, not too strong, not overpowering, not too limp – and make sure there is eye contact.”
Harrold said Trump should also “avoid asking anything too personal, for example he shouldn’t ask about any royal drama”.
He added: “And it’s also vital that anything they do discuss is kept confidential and not repeated.
“There have been previous incidents where the president has shared details of his personal letters with the king, and this would not have gone down well at the palace.”
What will Charles and Camilla do on their US trip?
King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to visit Washington first to mark America’s 250th anniversary. July 4, 2026, will mark the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.
My advice to the Trumps would be to look, but don’t touch.
They will then visit New York. Here they will highlight the modern UK-US relationship through culture, community and economic growth.
Then, they’ll visit Virginia where they will connect with local communities, heritage and culture.
Following this, King Charles will visit Bermuda alone. Here he will celebrate local creativity, biodiversity and youth opportunities. The palace said that the king will engage with people across a broad spectrum of island life.
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