King Charles's Warm Exchange With Melania Trump Draws Attention After Contrasting Sharply With His Handshake With Trump

As the pictures and videos from King Charles and Queen Camilla’s visit to the White House went viral on social media, the monarch's warm greeting with Melania Trump stood in notable contrast to his exchange with the president. The exchange with the first lady drew attention given the widely discussed nature of his handshake with the president.

Footage showed Charles and Melania exchanging cheek kisses after his handshake with the president. The Trumps have hosted Charles and Camilla to Washington as the first stop on a four-day tour of the nation to facilitate cooperation and alliance between the two countries.

Social media users responded rapidly after footage from the White House greeting began circulating. One X user commented on the overall meeting, writing, “God. The Trumps and King Charles have about as awkward of a meeting as you possibly could have. Every pause, every glance, every second feels off. This is not diplomacy. It’s discomfort."

However, one social media user pointed out the friendly greeting between King Charles and Melania Trump and said, “Nah, Camilla looks awkward but Melania & Charles are hitting it off."

Commenting on the cold handshake between Trump and Charles, a user on X wrote, “It started with the handshake wrestle that Donald Trump likes to pull on every head of state but the King is having none of it.”

A social media user pointed out a similarity between the two couples. The comment said, “Both have a common bond, family members who were closely connected to the Epstein files.” This was a dig at the President and the First Lady’s name being connected to the convicted offender. On the other hand, Charles’ younger brother, Andrew and his former wife Sarah Ferguson have faced scrutiny over their reported ties to Epstein.

One X user questioned the propriety of the cheek kiss, writing, "I wonder why the improper and lack of etiquette to kiss the King."

According to the Associated Press, the monarch arrived in the U.S. on Monday, April 27, 2026, amid strained trans-Atlantic ties and heightened security concerns

After the two couples posed for some pictures, Trump and the first lady ushered the royal couple into the White House’s Green Room for some tea. The president and first lady also escorted Charles and Camilla to the South Lawn to view the new White House-shaped beehive.

Melania Trump reportedly arranged for the beehive to be installed on the South Lawn last week, ahead of the royal visit. Charles and Camilla are also patrons of beekeeping. The King has kept three beehives in his private residence in England to showcase his support for the environment and sustainability.