Princess Kate gave Trump a beaming smile as they shook hands at Windsor Castle
The Prince and Princess of Wales receive US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at Windsor Castle (Image: PA)
The King, the Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales welcomed Donald Trump and his wife Melania to the UK yesterday as the US president’s historic second state visit got underway.
The US President and First Lady were treated to a personal, family-centred greeting outside Victoria House, a little-known property nestled in the Royal Kitchen Gardens at Frogmore on the private Windsor estate. Princess Kate gave Trump a beaming smile as they shook hands at Windsor Castle.
The prince and princess escorted the president and his wife the short walking distance to meet the King and Queen in front of the gable-ended Victoria House. Prince William was heard saying “this is my father” to Trump as they approached the King, as Charles gestured with a small wave of his hand.
The US president held his wife Melania’s hand before introducing them to the King and Queen. According to body language expert Bruce Durham from Huddle Culture, Kate made a subtle gesture as she greeted the Americans, with her handbag, The Mirror reports.
He told the Mirror: “When they walk away from the helicopter, you see Kate notices the closeness between Donald and Melania, but then what occurs is that her brain notices this and you’ll see there is a shift of her handbag in her hands.
“And what this is, is that she notices that and she feels uncomfortable enough and her brain says move closer to William but because of that regimented royal protocol that’s been ingrained within her, all you get is a shift of the handbag, which indicates she wants to do it, but she regiments herself and recognises that spatial awareness.
“They do look jovial, but it is good when you get these different types of behavioural acceptances, where you’ve got the American president and his partner and Prince William on the other side and the different expectations of how people should behave.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales receive US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at Windsor Castle (Image: PA)
The Trumps joined the King and Queen and the prince and princess for the scenic carriage ride through the green parkland to the castle, accompanied by a colourful Sovereign’s Escort of the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
Last night, a traditional state banquet was held at the castle, attended by 160 guests including media mogul Rupert Murdoch and Apple boss Tim Cook. Trump spoke of the UK-US relationship, saying “the word special does not begin to do it justice,” while the King praised the US president for his “personal commitment” to finding solutions to world conflicts.
The US leader also heaped praise on the King describing his as a “very, very special man”, listing a catalogue of his passions from the environment to architecture during a banquet staged in his honour to mark Mr Trump’s second historic state visit.
He singled out Charles’ “really amazing” son and heir the Prince of Wales for a mention and the “beautiful” Princess of Wales sitting next to the president.
Today the president will travel to the prime minister’s country house Chequers, in Buckinghamshire, for a meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. They will view the Sir Winston Churchill archives before holding a meeting and a press conference.
Melania Trump will remain at Windsor Castle where she will tour the Royal Library and see Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, a famous miniature palace built in the 1920s. She will then join her husband at Chequers before they return to the US.