British royal household’s most unforgettable state go to moments

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Behind the tiaras and trumpets of a royal state go to, there are generally eyebrow-raising moments being served.

In July, Buckingham Palace introduced that President Trump and his spouse, First Girl Melania Trump, would pay a state go to to the U.Okay. from Sept. 17–19. King Charles III hosted the couple at Windsor Fort.

Trump is the primary U.S. president to be invited for 2 state visits by a British monarch. The late Queen Elizabeth II hosted the U.S. president in 2019 throughout his first administration.

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<source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/09/672/378/queen-camilla-king-charles-donald-trump-melania-trump.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/09/1344/756/queen-camilla-king-charles-donald-trump-melania-trump.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/09/931/523/queen-camilla-king-charles-donald-trump-melania-trump.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/09/1862/1046/queen-camilla-king-charles-donald-trump-melania-trump.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> U.S. President Donald Trump and first girl Melania Trump pose with King Charles and Queen Camilla as they bid their farewells at Windsor Fort throughout a state go to on September 18, 2025, in Windsor, England. (Kevin Lamarque - WPA Pool/Getty Photographs)

President Trump was hosted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019 throughout his first administration. (Dominic Lipniski/Getty Photographs )

Whereas the festivities supplied loads of pomp and pageantry, royal consultants advised Fox Information Digital that no gathering may ever rival the late monarch’s unforgettable encounter with a controversial visitor.

In accordance with the royal family’s website , overseas monarchs, presidents or prime ministers are invited to go to the monarch on the recommendation of the Overseas and Commonwealth Workplace. Normally, on the night of the primary day, guests are hosted at a state banquet. Round 150 company are usually invited based mostly on cultural, diplomatic or financial ties to the visiting nation.

Whereas surprising gaffes are uncommon throughout such extremely formal occasions, they do occur.

Queen Elizabeth II is seen right here on June 13, 2020, in Windsor, England. The monarch, who died in 2022 at age 96, was no stranger to awkward and eyebrow-raising moments throughout royal state visits. (Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty Photographs)

"One of the calamitous state visits concerned Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and his spouse, Elena, in 1978," royal professional Richard Fitzwilliams advised Fox Information Digital. "They had been obsessive about being bugged inside Buckingham Palace and solely felt secure within the gardens. When Queen Elizabeth II noticed them, she reportedly hid behind a bush to keep away from talking with them."

"She thought they had been ghastly," he added.

Royal writer Robert Hardman beforehand described the go to within the ITV documentary "Queen: Inside the Crown."

"On the event after they had been staying, she took the corgis out for a stroll within the palace gardens, and he or she may see [them] coming the opposite manner," mentioned Hardman, as quoted by People magazine .

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Queen Elizabeth II with Romanian President Nicolae Ceaușescu (1918-1989) at Victoria Station throughout his state go to to London in 1978. (Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Photographs)

"She thought, 'I actually cannot face speaking to them,' so for the primary and solely time in her life, she really hid in a bush within the palace gardens to keep away from her company."

The outlet famous that, as with all state visits to the U.Okay., the choice to ask the communist dictator to Buckingham Palace was made by the British government .

"The press began to query the overseas secretary," mentioned Hardman within the particular, including that the media requested, "Why are we inviting this monster to return to Britain?"

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It’s unknown if Ceaușescu noticed the queen hiding within the foliage. Nevertheless, it was made crystal clear to the British authorities that the queen disapproved of the state occasion, the outlet reported.

"The queen places up with many various folks, however Ceaușescu was an excessive amount of for her," former British Overseas Secretary Lord David Owen mentioned within the particular. "She made it fairly plain she did not like that go to!"

It wouldn’t be the one time the late monarch was "extraordinarily displeased" throughout a state go to, mentioned Fitzwilliams.

Zaire President, Mobutu Sese Seko, and Queen Elizabeth II had been en path to Buckingham Palace from Victoria railway station at first of his state go to to Britain in 1973. (Keystone/Getty Photographs)

"Zaire's President Mobutu Sese Seko’s spouse, Marie-Antoinette, smuggled her canine in her baggage throughout their state go to in 1973," Fitzwilliams mentioned. "An indignant queen ordered it eliminated, and her corgis quarantined."

The president tried to clarify the mishap throughout a speech, arguing that the canine was of British heritage, the U.K.’s Express reported.

"President Mobutu of Zaire was positively a low level," mentioned Hardman within the ITV documentary. "The queen was very sad about that."

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Queen Elizabeth II was England's longest-reigning monarch. (Alastair Grant - WPA Pool/Getty Photographs)

In accordance with British royals expert Hilary Fordwich , one main fake pas reportedly occurred when an American president got here to city.

"One of many worst gaffes … was President Jimmy Carter … kissing the Queen Mom proper on her lips in the course of the state dinner at Buckingham Palace," she claimed. "The Queen Mom later advised her biographer, ‘He's the one man, since my pricey husband (King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II’s father) died, to have had the effrontery to kiss me on the lips."

Regardless of the Queen Mom’s recollection, the previous president denied the declare.

President Jimmy Carter (second proper) speaks with Queen Elizabeth II (in yellow) and the Queen Mom as Prince Philip (left) and Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti (proper) look on within the Blue Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace. (PA Photographs by way of Getty Photographs)

"Greater than two years later, there have been experiences within the British papers that grossly distorted this occasion, stating that I had deeply embarrassed her with extreme familiarity," Carter wrote in his 2016 autobiography, as quoted by People magazine . "I used to be distressed by these experiences however couldn’t change what had occurred — nor did I remorse it."

For British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard, it’s the Obamas who stood out to her.

"Once they had been there in 2009, former first girl Michelle Obama put her arm across the late queen," she recalled. "Everybody all the time says you may’t contact the queen or king. However really, they’re not so starchy."

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President Barack Obama and first girl Michelle Obama are welcomed by Queen Elizabeth II to Buckingham Palace on April 1, 2009, in London, England. (Pete Souza/White Home by way of Getty Photographs)

In 2018, Obama described the candid second in her memoir "Changing into," noting she and the queen had been bonding over the painful sneakers they had been sporting that day.

"I then did what’s instinctive to me any time I really feel related to a brand new particular person, which is to specific my emotions outwardly," she wrote, as quoted by Harper’s Bazaar . "I laid a hand affectionately throughout her shoulder."

The queen, England's longest-reigning monarch, died in 2022 at age 96. However stunning moments have already made an look at state visits throughout King Charles's reign.

French President Emmanuel Macron just lately confirmed off his charming aspect in the course of the state banquet at Windsor Fort in July of this yr.

France's President Emmanuel Macron (middle) makes a toast with Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales throughout a state banquet at Windsor Fort on July 8, 2025. (LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP by way of Getty Photographs)

The 47-year-old was noticed politely serving to to tug out Kate Middleton’s chair and waited for her to sit down earlier than he took his personal seat beside her. Throughout a toast, cameras captured him winking at the Princess of Wales , which went viral on social media.

For anybody fortunate sufficient to obtain an invite, Chard has a key piece of recommendation to keep away from a mishap.

"Queen Elizabeth traveled to so many international locations on the royal yacht Britannia," she mentioned. "And she or he would all the time obtain unusual presents, like roasted pigs. Numerous animals got. I believe even an enormous crocodile. What do you do with issues like that? I believe generally they had been thrown overboard, and the sharks used to eat them."