Violating the taboos of the British royal family? Biden's actions have sparked controversy, Charles Biden's actions
According to foreign media reports, US President Biden recently traveled to the UK for a highly anticipated meeting with King Charles III at Windsor Castle. This is the first meeting between Charles III and Biden since his official coronation as King of England in May.
In order to welcome Biden's visit, the British royal family held a grand welcoming ceremony. However, some of Biden's small actions appeared out of place in such a solemn and elegant occasion, causing controversy.
At the welcoming ceremony on that day, Biden, who was 6 years older than King Charles III of England, did not bow according to tradition when he met and shook hands with him. Instead, he placed his other hand on Charles III's elbow. In addition, Biden also used his hand to pat Charles III on the back, which shocked many royal observers.
There are reports that these actions do not comply with the etiquette rules of the British royal family, and members of the royal family should first initiate contact, otherwise others should not touch members of the royal family.
Later, as the two reviewed the Welsh Guard lining up in the castle courtyard, Biden once again placed his hand on Charles III's back.
During the review period, Charles III once urged Biden to continue moving forward. At that time, Biden was talking to a guard under review but ignored him. Charles III seemed displeased, and after Biden advanced, he sternly rebuked the guard and made gestures.
This scene brought up the embarrassing scene of President Trump standing in front of the Queen of England during his meeting in 2018, when the Queen had to walk left and right behind him. At that time, Trump was criticized for not following protocol to let the queen go first. Critics argue that turning away from the monarch violates the taboos of the British royal family.
The British royal website stated that there is "no mandatory code of conduct" when meeting with members of the royal family, but pointed out that "many people prefer to follow traditional forms", where men bow their heads and women bow their knees.
Buckingham Palace subsequently insisted that Charles III "did not mind" Biden's "impoliteness" and that he was "completely at ease" with Biden's touch. A Buckingham Palace source said, "This is a wonderful symbol of warmth and emotion between individuals and countries," and even said, "Contrary to some reports, in fact, this is the correct etiquette.".
Gardner, head of the Thatcher Freedom Center at the Heritage Foundation in the United States, said that although Americans may not be familiar with British royal etiquette, it is important for the US President to adhere to certain etiquette as tensions escalate in multiple fields between the US and the UK. Biden's willingness to abandon these etiquette traditions indicates that they are not important to him.
"He is the President of the United States, so he is not an ordinary person. But I think this is Biden's behavior, he is very rude to Britain, especially on the Northern Ireland issue." Gardner said, "This deepens Biden's overall image of not liking Britain, not respecting Britain, and not truly following rules or etiquette."
In fact, this is not the first time Biden has sparked controversy over etiquette issues. In 2021, Biden was criticized for wearing sunglasses during a meeting with Queen Elizabeth. Grant Harold, the former butler of Charles III, previously stated that "face-to-face" eye contact is "very important" when meeting the Queen, and Biden should remove his sunglasses.