King Charles and Queen Camilla officially welcomed President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump to their second state visit to the United Kingdom yesterday (September 17).
The couple arrived at Windsor Castle aboard Marine One, where they were received by Prince William and Kate Middleton before being formally greeted by the King and Queen.
Highlights
- Melania Trump shook hands instead of curtsying during the Trumps’ state visit to Windsor Castle.
- The royal family’s website confirms bows and curtsies are optional, not mandatory.
- Debate erupted online, with critics calling it disrespectful and supporters calling it irrelevant.
But it wasn’t the helicopters, the carriages, or the military bands that caught the public’s attention, it was Melania Trump’s decision not to curtsy.
Melania Trump was criticized by a segment of netizens for offering the British royals a handshake instead of a curtsy
Image credits: X/FLOTUS
As the Trumps shook hands with Charles, Camilla, William, and Kate, many observers noted that neither Donald Trump, 79, nor Melania Trump, 55, followed traditional gestures. The president did not bow, and the first lady did not curtsy.
Some questioned whether this was a breach of royal etiquette. After all, curtsying has long been associated with women greeting members of the royal family.
“She has zero class, she has no idea how to act,” a reader wrote.
Others saw the controversy as nothing more than a desperate attempt to elicit outrage from Trump’s detractors
Image credits: Getty/WPA Pool
Debate quickly followed online, with opinions split between outrage at the lack of curtsy and defense of the first lady’s decision.
Some critics argued that Melania Trump had disrespected the monarchy by failing to follow tradition. Others, however, pushed back, framing the controversy as an unnecessary fixation on outdated customs.
“They are the President and First Lady of the United States of America. Perhaps you still feel subjugated to jolly old England. We obliterated them in a war that won our freedom of subjugation,” a defender wrote.
“Folks who go bonkers over the simplest of things nowadays,” another added.
According to the royal family’s website, there is no obligation to perform formal gestures such as bows or curtsies when meeting its members
Image credits: Getty/Pool
Others put an end to discussion by providing a historical perspective.
“The end of subordination: The American Revolutionary War and subsequent Treaty of Paris in 1783 formally ended the political subordination of the colonies to the British Crown.
With this, any obligation to follow royal traditions or etiquette also ceased,” the netizen explained.
Indeed, from that moment onwards, the US ceased to be bound by British royal customs. This doesn’t mean that American officials can’t observe courtesies out of diplomacy, but the legal or political obligation no longer exists.
In fact, this is explicitly stated by the royal family’s website.
Image credits: Instagram/melaniatrump
“There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms,” the site explains.
“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.”
In other words, Melania Trump’s decision to offer a handshake instead of a curtsy falls well within the official guidelines.
Trump was also questioned for performing a military salute during the ceremonial welcome
This isn’t the first time the Trumps have generated discussion over their approach to royal tradition.
During a 2018 visit, Donald Trump shook hands with Queen Elizabeth II rather than bowing. The following year, during his first official state visit, he placed his hand on the Queen’s back at the state banquet, a gesture that was interpreted by some as crossing a line.
Image credits: Instagram/melaniatrump
The President was also scrutinized for performing a military salute during the ceremonial welcome.
While being escorted by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, Donald Trump performed the gesture, which is technically reserved for service members and veterans according to US Law.
“All other persons present,” the code states, “should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart.”
This too, however, is a stretch. Ever since Ronald Reagan normalized the salute 1981, every president since, including George Bush, Bill Clinton, Obama, and Joe Biden, has saluted in military contexts.
Online debate continued over whether curtsying remains relevant in modern times
