It took less than an hour for King Charles III and Queen Camilla to arrive at the White House before Donald Trump was accused of breaking royal protocol.
The US President has hosted the British monarch since he and the Queen arrived in Washington D.C. on Monday (27 Apr) for their State Visit, ahead of their trip to New York on Wednesday.
Charles and Camilla were met on the front steps of the presidential residence by Trump and his First Lady, Melania.
In footage that quickly went viral, the Republican leader could be seen reaching out a hand to the King before pulling him in forcefully for a handshake, after which Charles appears to be standing his ground.
While Trump, 79, was criticised for ‘trying his toxic beta-male handshake’ by some online critics, it’s what came next that astonished many onlookers.
Following the initial handshakes, cheek-kisses and greetings, Trump could be seen turning to the White House, preparing to guide the King and Queen through the front doors.
Seconds later, the right-wing leader placed a hand firmly on Charles’ arm, as if to be pulling the 76-year-old royal purposefully in his direction.
The moment quickly sparked outcry online, with Trump accused of breaking major rules when it comes to the handling of a monarch.
“This is so disrespectful,” one X user hit out.
Another added: “I do not think you are supposed to touch a King or Queen, but, of course, Trump loves breaking protocol.”
A third continued: “Forget etiquette – Donald has never heard of the word, nor has he heard of respect.”
Despite the backlash, according to royal insiders, Trump’s gesture doesn’t actually break etiquette.
In fact, the idea that kings and queens shouldn’t be touched without invitation is reportedly a pretty common misconception.
“The King and Queen meet thousands of people each year in the UK and overseas,” Buckingham Palace’s official website states. “The simple answer is that there are no obligatory codes of behaviour – just courtesy.”
Body language expert, Judi James, also assessed Trump’s hotly-debated arm touch, describing it as a ‘political gesture’.
“It was also the first real gesture of active, ‘special’ friendship here from a rather more subdued Trump than the very effusive rituals we saw during their last meeting [in September 2025],” she continued.
“Charles has always seemed more relaxed about that than his mother, and Trump’s gesture was extremely tempered for Trump.”
She added: “Just a light, tentative and rather polite touch to steer Charles inside.”
