Queen Elizabeth II has sat down with just about every President of the United States from Dwight Eisenhower to Barack Obama, but it doesn’t sound like Donald Trump will be joining that list just yet. Trump plans on visiting England in 2018, but downgraded the trip to an informal affair after threats and boycotts in the U.K.
According to W Magazine , Prime Minister Theresa May’s invitation to Trump sparked protests and boycotts across the country. John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, even declared that Trump will not speak to the legislature. In light of the negative reaction, the Trump administration changed it from a state visit to a working visit. A state visit would have meant a sit down with Queen Elizabeth to go along with a slew of formal events. A working visit doesn’t mean that Trump will not meet the Queen, but she is no longer obligated to invite him to Buckingham Palace.
Instead, Trump’s visit will likely be merged with a broader tour of Europe, though he might speak at the opening of the new American embassy in London. Queen Elizabeth has not indicated if she will meet with Trump during his stay. If they don’t meet, Trump will join Lyndon B. Johnson as the only two presidents since Eisenhower that didn’t meet Queen Elizabeth.
A trip to England is a fairly normal affair for newly elected world leaders. According to Newsweek , even Russian President Vladimir Putin sat down with the Queen , not to mention the President of China, Xi Jinping, and former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. In fact, Obama met with Queen Elizabeth a few months into his first term in office while Putin enjoyed a carriage ride with her in 2003.
Although Trump might not be sitting down with the royal family anytime soon, members of the two families have met. Just last month, First Lady Melania Trump appeared with Prince Harry at the Invictus Games in Canada. Trump will likely meet Queen Elizabeth at some point during his first term, though it doesn’t sound like it will happen in the near future.
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