Trump State Visit

[MrsLeonFarrell]

A space for thoughts.

My first is that being at Windsor might make it easier to host a foreign leader. Which then begs the question as to whether in the modern age we really need Buckingham Palace. None of the royals like living there and I bet you'd make a fortune hiring it out for events and tourists.

Whilst i find Catherine's coat dresses a little boring it makes sense to have a sort of uniform.

I wondered if I could ask a question?

I was watching the part of the visit where they were outside in Windsor Castle, watching the solidiers in bearskin helmets parading. When Trump and King Charles went to look at them close up, Trump walked ahead with one of the soldiers, while King Charles was walking several feet behind, and looking as though they were not being considerate to him.

I wondered if you know why it was that Trump walked with a soldier, leaving the King behind like that? I didn't like to see King Charles being left behind like that.

@LightsDifficulty
I think I read somewhere that Charles invited him to walk ahead.

He did the same with QE2

He's the most important person in the world doncha know

Yes I suppose so.

I think King Charles is very nice. I always hope that nice things happen for him.

I am also becoming less and less enamoured by so-called 'liberal' commentators (or MN posters!) who appear to agree with democracy only as far as allowing people they agree with to win elections.

No one can allow people to win election.

The left tolerates the right when it wins. It might not like it and makes a lot of noise but no one is overthrowing the right when it’s in government.

Same with the right.

Although, Trump tried to change that with the Jan 6 March on Capitol Hill - the seat of American Democracy - as a result of which a man defending (just going his job) the capitol died. We all know all that happened on Jan 6 so I’ll leave that there. First thing Trump did when he took office again in January was pardon the Jan 6’ers.

I think Starmer and King Charles did a very good job pandering to, and flattering, Trump. Now Trump has got the gift of being the only president invited by the Monarch twice, let’s hope he’s happy with that. (I don’t know if that is actually true - although I’m sure someone on here could enlighten me 🙂)

I don’t know and I don’t much care. (There’s too much of everything else to be concerned about anyway) If the family are fighting amongst themselves that is their business, surely. Nothing changes the succession unless it’s voluntary.

But I did wonder why the body language ‘experts’ weren’t consulted immediately.

My mistake @elprup . I just scanned the article and the body language ‘experts’ apparently were consulted. 😃

I was watching the inspection live and the expert on royal protocol explained that the invited Head of State is the one who goes first, Charles made it very clear that the President was to go ahead of him, President Macron also walked ahead of Charles

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/macron-royal-protocol-charles/

Pictures of the inspection

This photo is hilarious. It looks like Kate is really biting her tongue about something 🤣

So after all that flak Trump got for walking ahead of the Queen on the first state visit, was he actually right to have done that?

There was a really interesting comment on Americast last night. They were asked if the State visit had bought British any benefits. Sarah Smith said that it wouldn't change Trump's mind on policy because he will always decide what he thinks is best for the US regardless of what any other country might at. But what it has done is put Kier Starmer in the position where he can disagree with Trump without negative consequences and that is a pretty big benefit.

So after all that flak Trump got for walking ahead of the Queen on the first state visit, was he actually right to have done that.

I think he only got flak because of who he is. If Obama had walked ahead of the Queen I’m sure everyone would’ve said ‘of course he should go first’. (Maybe Obama did go first on his state visit - I can’t remember).

I agree except for the bit about Trump making decisions on what is right for the US. I think he makes decisions based on what is right for him.

In a word, no. If you watch the whole footage (as shown in this tweet - if it posts) Camilla, Catherine and Melania are all chatting. Catherine has her back to the drive. The next scheduled event is the carriage procession to the castle. Camilla clearly turns her head to her right, sees the carriages are arriving in front of them and lets Catherine know the carriages are here. Kate swiftly takes her leave and goes over to stand next to William, as they were together in the third carriage.

x.com/isaguor/status/1968502370200887727?s=61&t=9mUFAnTCINJez8ry1Mtg4Q

If you look at the footage, he kept crossing backwards and forwards in front of her so she was trying to avoid walking into him!

I agree with that, but I can why a BBC commentator phrased it differently!

@TooTooMuchEverything you are correct of course - my wording was wrong (Im not well at the moment, which affects posting accuracy sometimes). I should have said accepting rather than allowing.

I agree that January 6th was egregious - I am not arguing that. I am concerned about the growing inability to accept different opinions, leading to cancel culture, (in this case) calls for the RF to boycott Trump, and worse.

He did walk ahead.

Agree and it’s the same with Trump threatening to remove licenses from TV networks that criticise him. It’s got nothing to do with free speech and everything to do with Trump being too thin skinned to accept criticism. Which is undoubtedly why the whole event was hidden within Windsor castle. That way Trump could enjoy all the attention without any distractions. He was played like a fiddle for the narc that he is

As someone just reading through the thread for the first time it certainly strikes me that there are repeated comments insisting the C looks thin, awful, haggard, ill. Quite a few are from you, birling.

I think saying this at all is distasteful but labouring the point to try and get a reaction is nasty.

Yes, she’s very slim but she looks fine to me and actually glowing in some pics.

I don't think I've ever posted in a RF thread before, because I'm not a royalist, and wish they could be kindly managed out, begone the lot of them, but I have to say the comments about Kate's looks are just so bizarre..

She looks lovely in those pics, how can anyone say different unless they have some peculiar agenda?.

I'm not saying she's not ill, we know she is/was, and I have cancer myself and scrub up pretty well, but seeing people describe her as if she looks terrible and on death's door is just like taking another step into a strange, confusing new world, which we do seem to live in nowadays where reality is just what someone makes up in their head.

We can’t imagine!

But please tell us, because you’ve really been hammering your point home.

I think people are reading that clip the way they want to read it. It’s my opinion that the meaning they take from it will inevitably support their own biases.

It’s the same with all the short clips we get on here with readers giving meanings to blinks, glances, twitching mouths, turning the head away, scratching noses, hand gestures. They can be read in various different ways and people will come to the conclusion that they want to come to.

I was watching a clip of Trump and Melania walking and holding hands. My bias lead me to think that it was performative, that they were simply pretending. However, when I saw Kate and William doing the same at one point I just thought awww, don’t they look lovely! 😂

That's the way I would interpret it as well. It is all well choreographed, and Camilla just lets Catherine know the carriages - the next phase - are coming so Catherine takes her place for the next bit.