President Donald Trump may have secured his long-awaited meeting with Queen Elizabeth II last week, but it appears the monarch may not have been as happy to see him.
According to The Hill, on the day Trump arrived in the country the queen wore a brooch given to her by former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama. Many saw that as a subtle dig at the current president, who is unpopular in the U.K.
Also known as the American State Visit brooch, the Obamas gave the jewelry to the 92-year-old ruler during their 2011 trip to the U.K. The 14-karat gold item was made in the U.S. in 1950 from yellow gold, diamonds and moss agate. It came from Washintgon, D.C.'s Tiny Jewel Box store.
The meeting between the queen and current president—the 12th American commander-in-chief of her 66-year reign—did not go as smoothly as planned.
After arriving 12 minutes late, Trump joined the queen in a courtyard of the historic Windsor Castle to review a British guard of honor, who played the American national anthem before marching past. A video of the troop inspection showing the president walking in front of the Queen, forcing her to jostle for space next to him went viral last week.
Though the monarch can be seen trying to usher Trump in the correct direction, the president seemed oblivious as he wandered along. His behavior was not a breach of official protocol but has been widely criticized as disrespectful by several British newspapers. After the awkward ceremony was over, Trump and his wife, Melania, joined the queen for afternoon tea inside the castle.
Trump later incorrectly claimed this was the first time the queen had reviewed her royal guard in 70 years. The monarch has been on the throne for only 66 years, and has been seen inspecting her elite troops countless times.
During this portion of the visit, the queen was wearing a brooch handed down to her mother, known for its appearance at the state funeral of her father, George VI, in 1952. Whether this too was a subtle comment on her enthusiasm for Trump's company is unclear.
The Trump visit to Windsor Castle took less than an hour. It was reported that Prince William and Prince Charles refused to meet the president—allegedly because of distasteful remarks he had made about Princess Diana shortly after her death in 1997. Buckingham Palace later said their involvement was never part of the plan for the visit.
As Trump sipped royal tea, tens of thousands of protesters swarmed central London in demonstrations against his visit. Already unpopular among Britons, Trump did himself no favors by undermining Prime Minister Theresa May, lambasting London Mayor Sadiq Khan and criticizing British policy on immigration and Brexit in an interview days before he arrived.
President Obama and Michelle visited the U.K. several times during his two terms, and the couple is known to be close to both Prince Harry and Prince William.
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David Brennan is Newsweek's Diplomatic Correspondent covering world politics and conflicts from London with a focus on NATO, the European ... Read more
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