President Trump, Melania get royal treatment at tea with Queen Elizabeth II
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were welcomed to Windsor Castle for a special private tea with the Queen Elizabeth of England this afternoon.
The 92-year-old Queen, wearing a royal blue jacket and hat, stood waiting at the dais of the castle to greet the Trumps as they arrived in a Range Rover on Windsor’s historic grounds.
The president -– who often runs late -– was precisely on time for the occasion, right down to the exact minute they were scheduled to arrive.
The British Guard of Honor, wearing formal military attire of red coats with fluffy bearskin hats, saluted the Trumps and played the “Star-Spangled Banner” as the Trumps flanked the Queen.
The president walked alongside the Queen as they inspected the front rank of the Royal Guard.
The first lady –- who Trump said is a “big fan” of the Queen in an interview with the Sun -- wore a pale pink skirt suit with a thin black belt for the special occasion.
Tea with the Queen is the kind of special occasion that would make even the most famous person in the world nervous. Trump told the Sun he really “[looked] forward to meeting her.”
“If you’re a guest of hers, she will put you at her ease,” Alastair Bruce, a royal expert and ABC News consultant said. “She makes the tea herself, and she will pour him his cup of tea and they can have a jolly good gossip.”
Trump has long held a fascination with British history, traditions and royalty. He admires Sir Winston Churchill and is a casual royal watcher, sometimes commenting on tabloid royal news on Twitter.
In his book “The Art of the Comeback” Trump even said he wished that he was able to “court” Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in 1997.
“I only have one regret in the women department -– that I never had the opportunity to court Lady Diana Spencer. I met her on a number of occasions.” Trump wrote. “I couldn’t help but notice how she moved people. She lit up the room with her charm, her presence. She was a genuine princess—a dream lady. She’ll truly be missed.”
Ahead of the tea, Trump complimented the Queen in the Sun, “I think she represents her country so well."
"If you think of it, for so many years she has represented her country, she has really never made a mistake. You don’t see, like, anything embarrassing. She is just an incredible woman.”
Trump appeared to avoid any gaffes in his introduction to the Queen this afternoon. Royal protocol calls for avoiding unitiatied physical contact with the Queen.
Trump, who loves a strong handshake or to touch the back of a person he stands next to was notably hands off.
