King Charles was 'completely caught off guard' when Donald Trump revealed his mother had a crush on him as a boy, according to a body language expert. The meeting at the White House came amid tensions between the US and UK, but both leaders quickly overcame their initial nerves.
Nervous Start
Body language analyst Derek Heron observed that both Trump and King Charles displayed signs of nervousness at the beginning of their encounter. 'Charles touched his jacket several times, which can be a self-reassurance gesture. Trump was doing a lot of nervous hand-clenching, also a self-reassurance mechanism,' Heron said. 'There was a little bit of uncertainty from both with stiff postures and lots of reassuring self-touching.'
However, Charles appeared more relaxed when he laughed and smiled while greeting his own staff and then made way for Trump to meet his team.
The Inspection
The King inspected the military guard of honour, including the United States Marine Corps Honour Guard and, for the first time at a White House event, the United States Space Force Honour Guard. Rainy weather eased just before the royal party arrived, and staff rushed to wipe the chairs for the open-air ceremony.
Heron noted that both leaders walked with confidence, steady strides, and upright postures. 'This was something they were comfortable with and helped settle the initial nervousness. Trump appeared more settled than the King, who was still doing a lot of jacket touching, reflecting that he hadn’t fully relaxed, although more settled than earlier.'
Trump's Speech
Trump began his speech with a barb about the weather: 'What a beautiful British day this is.' He praised Charles as a 'very elegant man' and a 'tremendous privilege to host.' He also revealed that his mother had a crush on 'cute' young Charles, an awkward exchange that caught the King off guard. Heron observed that Trump stood to address the audience a little too early but was unfazed. King Charles tried to contain a wince as Trump slurred the word 'Windsor' at the start of his speech. 'There were many times when King Charles genuinely listened and thought about Trump’s words. There were a few moments when he felt a little confused by some of Trump’s remarks, as he sometimes struggled with the script, but in general he hid it pretty well. This was indicated by lots of head turns and postural adjustments. King Charles was completely caught off guard with Trump’s remark about his mother thinking he was cute as a boy, but he handled it well with a smile and a neutral gesture of acknowledgement. This is the king after all!'
The Balcony Parade
During the parade, Heron noted lots of engagement between the two leaders, with King Charles initiating the majority of conversations. 'They seemed much more relaxed at this point, although both still displayed very rigid postures, but given the formality of the occasion and being in full public view, this is not unusual. Hand gestures from Trump during the chats indicate a more relaxed attitude. King Charles was eager to get indoors after the parade, moving towards the doors to get inside very quickly at the first hint that the parade was over. He may have felt cold and a little damp or just a little bored. It’s difficult to say.'
There will also be a private exchange of gifts between the monarch and the US president ahead of a bilateral meeting.
