Melania Trump ‘breaks Royal rule’ in ‘lingering’ exchange with King | Royal | News
The King managed to make the First Lady laugh (Image: Getty)
Many observers have commented on how Melania Trump might seem a little reserved. A smile from America’s First Lady is as rare as it is welcome, and there are countless viral videos of Melania swatting her husband’s hand when he reaches out for a moment of human contact.
However, King Charles, who, it should be noted, had been trained for a life of diplomacy almost since birth, managed to melt the icy exterior of the old Slovenian model. He was rewarded for his charm offensive with “a light touch on the arm, so that sustaining that touch for so long would make any aficionado of royal protocol grimace,” says royal biographer Christopher Wilson. Telegram.
He said it was the complete breach of the rules of royal protocol that underlined how successful his visit was.
Against a backdrop of very real tensions between the UK and the US, fueled by US President Donald Trump’s increasingly reckless outbursts, His Majesty the King was tasked with reaffirming the so-called “special relationship” between the two countries.
The visit was an undeniable success. Christopher says this is “further proof that the power of royalty extends beyond gilded carriages and palace balconies and can be successfully exercised in times of national need.”
King Charles III wins the Presidency (Image: Getty)
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Not only did King Charles successfully resolve the notoriously cold First Lady, he also won the support of President Trump: “The King was rewarded with a smile and a pat on Trump’s knee. In short, Trump was on his best behavior.”
Not only royalists but also republican pundits praised King Charles’ performance in the province. “Lifelong” republican Alastair Campbell, who has consistently championed the idea of replacing the British monarchy with an elected head of state, shared: “Excellent speech from King Charles… I loved the confidence in British and European values.”
Emily Maitlis, who is credited with precipitating one of the biggest crises in royal history when she interviewed Prince Andrew (as he was then known) for News Night, also praised the King’s performance. He said on the newsagents podcast: “You send someone out there and everyone applauds them and they pull it off. He gave a sort of Love Actually speech but written by Plato. That’s what he felt like, someone who cheered us all up a bit.”
The visit was welcomed as a great success (Image: Getty)
The king’s visit was also welcomed by American experts. Republican senator Lindsey Graham praised King’s speech to Congress, saying: “Simply put: King delivered.”
“The speech was a terrific combination of intelligence, humor, history and appreciation. I believe most members of Congress felt better after the speech than before.”
Another Republican, former US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, posted: “It’s surprising to see King Charles unite Congress in the way America desires.”
President Trump, famous for creating divisions with every word, was impressed by the way King Charles brought people together: “He got the Democrats up and running, something I’ve never been able to do. I couldn’t believe it,” Trump said at the banquet a few hours later. “They actually liked him better than any Republican or Democrat.”
The King is the third British monarch to visit the US; Before him, his mother II. Elizabeth and her grandfather, George VI, who met with President Franklin D. Roosevelt a few months before the outbreak of World War II, arrived.
