The Royal Tours And State Visits That Left Us Cringing

It's no secret that royals live insanely lavish lives, but for the most committed members of the monarchy, royal titles mean royal responsibility. This is especially true in the United Kingdom, where the British royal family plays a major role in the country's international relations and diplomacy. At the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the monarch and their closest family members often engage in diplomatic missions that are designed to support British interests. In practice, this means the highest ranking members regularly embark on royal tours and organize state visits to help smooth things over with world leaders. 

Naturally, some visits have run more smoothly than others, but several didn't appear to go even remotely according to plan. From King Edward VIII's disastrous 1937 trip to Germany to Queen Camilla's awkward interactions with Melania Trump, the British royal family has endured a number of embarrassing episodes on state visits and royal tours. While some of these meetings actively harmed Britain, others just resulted in some uncomfortable laughter. Overall, these instances show that not even the royals get things right all of the time.

There are awkward state visits, and then there are embarrassing ones. King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor's October 1937 state visit to Nazi Germany was both. To begin with, Edward was no longer wearing the crown at the time of the visit, having abdicated less than a year before. His younger brother, King George VI, had already taken over his duties. Because of this, it was extremely strange that Edward and Wallis would consider embarking on any sort of state visit at all. However, according to the book "The Windsors at War" by Andrew Larman, Edward was so eager to show Wallis a taste of royal life that he accepted Adolf Hitler's invitation to Bavaria. As Larman wrote, "It represented a change of scenery and an opportunity to be feted, rather than merely tolerated, on the international stage."

Ultimately, Edward's choice to go to Nazi Germany proved a grave error. Less than two years after his state visit, Germany and Great Britain were at war. By the end of the conflict, the discovery of the Holocaust revealed evil beyond imagination. Because of this, the photographs that remain of Wallis, Edward, and Hitler remain deeply humiliating for the British royal family. Closer to the time of the state visit, the palace tried to keep the images out of public view for fear of their impact on the reputation of the monarchy.

The British royal family abides by strict royal rules that determine how one should behave at a garden party. However, that doesn't mean Queen Elizabeth II always followed protocol in her garden. In 1978, the late queen decided to bend the rules — just a little — to avoid Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu during a state visit. According to then-British Foreign Secretary, Lord David Owen, Elizabeth had not been thrilled with the idea of receiving Ceaușescu in the first place. "The queen puts up with many different people, but Ceaușescu was too much for her," Owen admitted in the documentary "Our Queen: Inside the Crown," per People. "She made it quite plain she didn't like that visit."

Apparently, things didn't reach a boiling point until mid-way through Ceaușescu's visit when Elizabeth decided to get some fresh air and clear her head. In the same documentary, royal expert Robert Hardman claimed, "She took the corgis out for a walk in the palace gardens and she could see the Ceaușescus coming the other way. She thought, 'I really can't face talking to them,' so the first and only time in her life, she actually hid in a bush in the palace gardens to avoid her guests." While that might not have been Elizabeth's most regal moment, she led so many other successful state visits during her lifetime that we'll forgive her.

Queen Elizabeth II's royal life was full of memorable moments — some arguably more triumphant than others. During World War II, her service as an auto mechanic in the Auxiliary Territorial Service was downright heroic. Later, her 1986 state visit to China was historic. Among these successes, however, are some of the more awkward moments from Elizabeth's reign. Chief among these was Elizabeth's 1991 state visit to the United States when she met with President George H. W. Bush. During the visit, Bush gave an address, then proceeded to vacate the podium for the queen. The problem? The president forgot to raise the dais for Elizabeth.

In his book, "Queen of the World," royal biographer Robert Hardman described the result of Bush's faux pas: "The queen was all but invisible. The moment was immortalized by NBC's Jim Miklaszewski. 'She's gone!' he exclaimed. 'All I got is a talking hat!' Thereafter, royal staff would call this 'the talking hat tour.'" Although this mix-up may have been embarrassing for Bush, Elizabeth took it all in good spirits. The next day, she addressed the U.S. Congress and treated her audience to one of Queen Elizabeth's funniest moments of all time. "I do hope you can see me today from where you are," she quipped. According to the LA Times, the joke was met with a standing ovation.

Strange things have long swirled around Prince Andrew, but that did not stop him from partaking in public life back in his heyday. In 1984, he was allowed to go on a royal tour of California where he mingled with the likes of Nancy Reagan. But, if Andrew aimed to act gracefully in the spotlight, it certainly did not show. On a visit to Watts, Andrew ambushed the press with a fully-loaded white paint gun. As photographers rushed to protect their pricey equipment from the attack, Andrew seemed to be enjoying himself. Afterward, he announced, "I enjoyed that." The journalists and photographers that accompanied him, meanwhile, did not.

Unfortunately, Andrew's refusal to apologize left the press feeling confused. "He didn't say, 'Oh my God, I'm sorry.' He had such a grin of delight," recalled Los Angeles Herald Examiner photographer, Chris Gulker (via UPI). There was apparently no immediate offer to pay back the cost of damaged equipment, and The Los Angeles Herald Examiner attempted to charge the British consulate $1,200 for damages to Gulker's tech. London Daily Mail photographer, Allan Davidson, said he lost a whopping $4,000 in damaged equipment. Furious on Davidson's behalf, the London Daily Mail published a piece criticizing the prince: "Prince Charming had turned into a frog overnight, and that all his glamor came to nothing when he showed the immature and arrogant personality behind the film-star looks."

One would think that after Prince Andrew's first appearance in California the palace would know better than to send him back. However, in 1988 — just four years after his initial trip — Andrew returned to The Golden State. On this occasion, he was accompanied by his then-wife, Sarah Ferguson, and double trouble quickly became the name of the game. Andrew and Sarah arrived late to their commitments and broke protocol constantly. Sarah Ferguson remains ever one to cause a scandal, and as Tom Quinn put it in the documentary, "Fergie and Andrew: The Duke and Duchess of Disaster," "On the tour of America, she was too loud. She was perceived as being not what a royal should be. And I think the damage done on that tour to her reputation dogged her ever since."

The worst moment of the tour was probably when Sarah lost decorum at a gala for the UK/LA Festival. While she was giving a speech, the then-Duchess of York was heckled by state senator Art Torres. "We love you, Fergie," he shouted, per UPI. Rather than ignoring this comment and moving on, Sarah replied with a comical, "'I'll see you later." While this comment may have been funny, it wasn't seen as appropriate for someone in a duchess' position. In the aforementioned documentary, royal expert Dickie Arbiter noted, "The British media thought it was the wrong thing to do."

In 2019, Queen Elizabeth II invited President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump to Buckingham Palace for a state visit. As a part of the crown's hospitality, the future King Charles III and Queen Camilla received the Trumps at Clarence House. Surrounded by old ceramics and decorative lamps, the two couples posed for photographs as usual. However, at the end of the photo session, Camilla went off-script by offering a coy wink to photographers. Naturally, this gesture almost broke the Internet, as Camilla's fans scrambled to decode her body language. According to experts, the move was Camilla's way of expressing her thoughts on the American president.

Royal Protection Officer: "Camilla, if you are in trouble then wink, we will come and rescue you." #TrumpUKVisit #TrumpVisitUK pic.twitter.com/TGMrXwmjUu

— Charlie Proctor (@MonarchyUK) June 3, 2019

Speaking to Express, body language expert Judi James opined, "This wink at the press from Camilla was a tie-sign to suggest a secretive exchange of thoughts during Trump's visit. In many ways, it looks suspiciously like a rather knowing gesture of disrespect for the U.S. president." Apparently, the famous wink came after Charles and Camilla had already been spotted giggling conspiratorially. "They did appear to be whispering and laughing together, so the suggestion is that this wink is part of that sense of light-hearted mockery," James added. That being said, if Camilla was really expressing her feelings about the state visit, it would be one of the many times royals dramatically broke protocol. As a representative of the monarchy, her job is to receive guests — not comment on their politics. 

Queen Camilla may have produced the wink of the decade, but Melania Trump seems to have gotten the last laugh. When the American first lady returned to the U.K. for President Donald Trump's second royal state visit in 2025, she didn't seem to pay Camilla much mind — or really any mind at all. In fact, Melania appeared to ignore Camilla throughout the visit. On the first day of the trip, the queen greeted the first lady to welcome her to England. According to eye witness reports of the interaction, Melania spoke to Camilla briefly. However, as soon as she spotted Princess Catherine, she zoomed away from Camilla — leaving the queen consort on her own.

Things between Camilla and Melania apparently did not get any better over the scrumptious dinner of "whatever the h*ll they served us," as Donald so eloquently put it (via Hello!). Although Camilla and Melania were seated side-by-side, their interactions seemed uncomfortable. In one video of the banquet that was later shared on TikTok, Camilla tried to join Melania in conversation. The first lady did not so much as turn her head in acknowledgment. The queen consort leaned in further as if bidding harder for Melania's attention. Melania just leaned further away from Camilla. Although royal watchers have been keen on debating the motive behind Melania's so-called frostiness, rumor has it she couldn't forget that wink.