Donald Trump and his wife Melania may already have broken “royal protocol” on the very first morning of their UK state visit.

According to The Mirror, the former US president and First Lady were expected to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales at midday today (17 September). Instead, their Marine One helicopter only began circling over the Windsor estate at around 12:10 p.m., keeping Prince William and Kate waiting.

Minutes later, Trump and Melania were greeted by William and Kate before being escorted to Victoria House, where King Charles III and Queen Camilla were waiting.

Although Buckingham Palace stresses there are no strict rules when meeting the monarch, tradition still carries weight. Guests often bow or curtsy, and the King is formally addressed as “Your Majesty.” Yet timeliness is also considered part of the etiquette — something Charles has been vocal about before.

At his coronation in May 2023, the King and Queen arrived several minutes early and were forced to wait in their carriage before entering. According to a lip reader quoted by Sky News, Charles was heard grumbling, “We can never be on time… there’s always something. This is boring.”

Today, the King and Queen reached Victoria House in the state Bentley at 12:02 p.m. and waited inside as the Trumps landed late at 12:16 p.m.

From there, the two couples joined a ceremonial carriage procession through Windsor’s private parkland. They were accompanied by 120 horses and some 1,300 military personnel, including 160 from the Royal Marines and Royal Navy, 1,000 from the British Army, and 140 from the RAF.

Despite fears that Queen Camilla might miss the welcome due to a bout of acute sinusitis, palace officials confirmed she was able to attend. She and Melania shared a carriage while Charles and Trump rode together. William and Kate followed behind in another coach as both the US and UK national anthems were played.

Trump previously visited the UK in 2019, when he was hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II. This week’s state visit will follow similar traditions. The King and Queen are due to host a state lunch, while Trump is invited to inspect the guard of honour and view US-related treasures from the Royal Collection.

A royal salute will also be fired in his honour from First World War-era guns stationed on Windsor’s east lawn and at the Tower of London. Later in the day, Trump is expected to lay a wreath at Queen Elizabeth II’s tomb.