Why A Body Language Expert Thinks The Queen Might Not Be As Fond Of Donald Trump As He Thinks
While Donald Trump frequently insults his political opponents, he has heaped plenty of praise on Queen Elizabeth. In fact, former White House advisor Fiona Hill revealed in her book, "There Is Nothing For You Here: Finding Opportunity in the 21st Century," that Trump was "obsessed" about paying a visit to her majesty while he was president. "Going to Buckingham Palace was supposed to be a highlight of his presidency," Hill wrote. "Meeting Queen Elizabeth II was particularly important to President Trump."
Trump got his wish in 2018 when he traveled to the U.K. During that visit, he was accused of breaking protocol when he not only kept the queen waiting, but walked in front of Elizabeth while taking a tour. Then in 2019, both Trump and his wife Melania were criticized for choosing to shake hands with the royal family instead of bowing and curtsying, per Insider.
Despite those mistakes, Trump told Piers Morgan that Queen Elizabeth had the best time when they sat next to one another at a state banquet. "...We talked the whole night. And somebody said, we've never seen her smile so much. We had a great time. She was laughing and smiling," he claimed, per the Daily Mail. "They said they've never seen her have such a good time at a state dinner."
And while Queen Elizabeth was seen smiling and laughing at the event, a closer look reveals she might not have been truly enjoying Trump's company.
Queen Elizabeth put on a happy face for the sake of U.S. and U.K. relations
Donald Trump might think that Queen Elizabeth was charmed by him at a state dinner, but one expert explained that she was simply doing her job. "It has been clear for a long time that Donald Trump lives at least partly in a fantasy world," royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told the Daily Mail. "The Queen always performs her duties as head of state with perfection. When Trump was President, it was important that relations with Britain were as cordial as possible."
Body language expert Judi James agreed with Fitzwilliams' assessment, pointing out that Elizabeth's body language shifted throughout the event. James noted that when the queen was walking ahead of Trump and he couldn't see her face, "her expression changes dramatically. Her raised shoulders hint at impatience, her lips are tense and her eyes appear to be glaring."
It's unlikely that these opinions will change Trump's mind about his relationship with the queen. He even shared some advice on how he thinks she should handle Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, telling Piers Morgan (via the Daily Mail) that the couple — who stepped down from their royal duties in 2020 — should have all of their titles taken away, as well as be banned from visiting the U.K.
Time will tell if Queen Elizabeth takes his words of wisdom to heart.