6 controversial moments between Queen Elizabeth and US presidents throughout history

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6 controversial moments between Queen Elizabeth and US presidents throughout history
  • President Joe Biden will meet with the Queen on Sunday in his first overseas trip as president.
  • During her reign, the Queen has met every US president except for Lyndon B. Johnson.
  • Presidential visits don't always go smoothly, with occasional protocol mistakes and private spats.
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When President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jackie Kennedy, visited Buckingham Palace in 1961, tensions brewed between the first lady and Queen Elizabeth.

When President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jackie Kennedy, visited Buckingham Palace in 1961, tensions brewed between the first lady and Queen Elizabeth.
Prince Philip, first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth, and President John F. Kennedy in 1961. SeM/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth was reportedly jealous of the fawning attention that Jackie Kennedy received. Further drama ensued when Kennedy invited her twice-divorced brother-in-law and sister to a state dinner. The Queen initially denied their entry, causing diplomats to step in and negotiate, according to the Washington Post.

The Queen relented, but left her sister Princess Margaret and her aunt Princess Marina off the guest list since Kennedy wanted to be photographed with them.

"The queen's resentment was real," Kitty Kelly wrote in her book "The Royals."

A fictionalized version of the tense visit was portrayed on the second season of Netflix's "The Crown."

President Jimmy Carter broke royal protocol by kissing the Queen Mother on the lips during his visit in 1977.

President Jimmy Carter broke royal protocol by kissing the Queen Mother on the lips during his visit in 1977.
President Jimmy Carter speaks with the Queen and the Queen Mother as Prince Philip and Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti look on. PA Images via Getty Images

"I took a sharp step backwards – not quite far enough," the Queen Mother is said to have remarked after the encounter, according to BBC.

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Michelle Obama caused a stir when she put her arm around Queen Elizabeth during her and President Barack Obama's first visit to Buckingham Palace in 2009.

Michelle Obama caused a stir when she put her arm around Queen Elizabeth during her and President Barack Obama's first visit to Buckingham Palace in 2009.
Michelle Obama with Queen Elizabeth. AP/AP

Michelle Obama wrote in her memoir, "Becoming," that when she met Queen Elizabeth in 2009, they bonded over both wearing uncomfortable high heels.

"Forget that she sometimes wore a diamond crown and that I'd flown to London on a presidential jet; we were two tired ladies oppressed by our shoes," she wrote. "I then did what's instinctive to me anytime I feel connected to a new person, which is to express my feelings outwardly. I laid a hand affectionately across her shoulder."

She didn't realize until later that she had committed "what would be deemed as an epic faux pas," as one isn't supposed to touch the Queen.

"If I hadn't done the proper thing at Buckingham Palace, I had at least done the human thing," she wrote. "I daresay the Queen was okay with it, too, because when I touched her, she only pulled closer, resting a gloved hand lightly on the small of my back."

President Donald Trump appeared to break royal protocol several times while visiting Windsor Castle in 2018.

President Donald Trump appeared to break royal protocol several times while visiting Windsor Castle in 2018.
Trump appeared to break royal protocol by walking in front of the Queen. AP

Bowing or curtsying isn't necessary when greeting a royal, but the royal family's official website says that "many people wish to observe the traditional forms." Trump broke from tradition by opting for a handshake instead of a bow.

Trump also walked in front of the Queen and appeared to cut her off, which is considered a breach of royal protocol, according to The New York Times.

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Some theorized that Queen Elizabeth's choice of brooches may have sent subtle messages about her opinion of Trump.

Some theorized that Queen Elizabeth's choice of brooches may have sent subtle messages about her opinion of Trump.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump with Queen Elizabeth in 2018. Matt Dunham - WPA Pool/Getty Images

On the first day of President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump's visit to the UK in 2018, Queen Elizabeth wore a brooch given to her by Barack and Michelle Obama.

When she actually met with Trump, she wore a brooch that her mother wore to her father's funeral, which some thought could be a subtle sign of the Queen's opinion of the president.

Queen Elizabeth's tiara also caused speculation that she shaded President Donald Trump on his most recent visit to the UK.

Queen Elizabeth's tiara also caused speculation that she shaded President Donald Trump on his most recent visit to the UK.
Queen Elizabeth with Donald Trump during a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in 2019. DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AFP/Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth wore her Burmese Ruby Tiara to a state dinner at Buckingham Palace held in the Trumps' honor. The tiara contains 96 rubies that were given to the Queen as a gift from the people of Burma (also known as Myanmar).

The Queen's choice of the tiara, which is said to be a "symbol of protection against illness and evil," sparked theories among some Twitter users that she wore it purposely to dine with Trump.

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