Donald Trump’s speech had the room squirming as cameras zoomed in on one stunned reaction — turning what was meant to be a dignified affair into a full-blown internet spectacle that has everyone howling.
Trump’s Sept. 17 address at Windsor Castle started with appropriate reverence as Charles spoke about their “forebears from 1776” and the enduring bond between their nations. Then the former reality television star decided to “weave” some Trumpian razzle dazzle into his remarks at a state banquet, pivoting from praising Charles’ dedication to rivers, gardens, and veterans to an oddly specific boast.
According to Trump, he had just shaken approximately 150 hands in a receiving line, and Charles knew every single person and company represented. The president marveled at this feat, especially since some attendees had “bad names, like XYZ-Q3,” adding that nobody complained, so the monarch must have truly known them all.
A split-screen edit of the video footage revealed Charles’ shifting expressions during this peculiar tangent. The King maintained his composure through most of the speech, smiling politely until Trump reached the portion about memorizing names. At that moment, the king seemed visibly cringed when his guest suggested certain people had unfavorable names, smiling awkwardly while adjusting his white bowtie and stiffly starched white collar.
Once the Royal Family Channel posted the footage, social media erupted with commentary on the exchange.
“The King’s reaction is everything,” one observer noted, while another sympathized, “Jeepers! This is so funny. Poor King Charles.”
An American wrote simply, “Our apologies Charles.”
Others recognized the cultural disconnect at play: “… Charles is actually enjoying this speech and not dying of embarrassment. Bless em.”
One viewer captured the national mood with, “Oh how embarrassing for our country!!”
The reality suggests Trump’s handshaking claim might contain kernels of truth, though perhaps stretched beyond recognition. The state banquet featured over 160 attendees, making a formal receiving line entirely plausible, according to The Guardian.
Additionally, during the ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle, Charles demonstrated impeccable military protocol while greeting soldiers alongside Trump. That event featured 1,300 military personnel and 120 horses in the largest guard of honor ever assembled for a state visit to the United Kingdom.
Between these two occasions, Trump likely shook numerous hands. Whether Charles actually knew everyone’s names — or whether companies truly bore designations like “XYZ-Q3” — remains highly questionable.
The British visit apparently left an impression, because Trump attempted to emulate Charles’ dignified military interactions just days after returning home.
On Sept. 24, Trump hosted the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon in the Oval Office to present challenge coins, but military buffs quickly noticed breaches of protocol — he remained seated and skipped the traditional salute and handshake used for proper coin exchanges.
Many noted the jarring contrast between what the Queens native did and the British monarch’s flawless ceremonial conduct just weeks earlier, where Trump would have been front and center to witness.
For all of the admiration it seems that Trump has for Charles, some observers thought it all evaporated when he was asked about the No Kings Day demonstrations on Oct. 18.
It was then that Trump declared to reporters, “I’m not a king. I work my a— off to make our country great. That’s all it is. I’m not a king at all.”
Many on social media thought that was a direct swipe at the man he was just doting on.
The irony of Trump’s obsession with the royals and their gilded lives isn’t subtle. America’s founding fathers fought to break free from kings and crowns, yet today’s leader seems both fascinated by royal pageantry and openly dismissive of it.
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