Melania Trump shared her honest thoughts on King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit with a three-word comment. The King and Queen arrived in Washington DC on Monday as part of their three-day visit to the United States.
Meeting at the White House
They were greeted by US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump outside the White House’s iconic South Portico. This meeting occurred after Buckingham Palace confirmed the trip would proceed despite a shooting incident in Washington DC on Saturday night.
Cole Allen, 31, was charged with attempting to assassinate the president along with two firearm offences following an incident at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. He appeared in court yesterday and will appear again on Thursday.
The King is said to have been “greatly relieved” that Trump was not injured. In the aftermath, the Palace confirmed the state visit would proceed as planned, with minor adjustments to the itinerary.
The Royal Greeting
The royals were seen smiling as they met the president and first lady on Monday. They later sat down for tea before attending a garden party that featured a range of guests, including former Team GB diver Tom Daley.
Lip reader Jeremy Freeman has now shared an insight into what Melania Trump said to Charles when the pair met. As they shook hands, the King appeared to say: “Oh, it’s so nice to see you.”
To which Melania responded: “So pleased to see you.” She then made her feelings clear on the state visit with a simple three-word comment: “I’m really delighted.”
After Trump shook hands with the King and Melania kissed the Queen on both cheeks, the two couples posed for pictures outside the White House. They then went inside for tea.
Protocol Breach
As reported by the Mirror, Trump turned to make his way inside before tapping the King on the shoulder. This action broke royal protocol, breaching the unwritten rule to never initiate physical contact.
The movement can, however, often be seen as a sign of affection. Body language expert Judi James told the Daily Mail: “This touch on the arm as they walked in also looked like a more 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].”
The expert added that the King did not appear to mind the breach in tradition. She said: “Charles has always seemed more relaxed about that than his mother [Queen Elizabeth II], and Trump's gesture was extremely tempered for Trump. Just a light, tentative and rather polite touch to steer Charles inside.”
Upcoming Events
Later today the King will address the US Congress, becoming the second monarch to do so. The first royal to achieve this was his own mother, more than three decades ago in 1991.
Both the King and Trump will then make speeches during a dinner this evening. On Wednesday, the King is set to visit the 9/11 memorial, meeting first responders who worked at the tragedy and the families of victims.
The King and Queen will say a formal goodbye to the Trumps on Thursday. They will then head to Bermuda, where he is also head of state.
