When Donald Trump Forgot What He Had Gifted To Queen Elizabeth II On His Visit To Windsor

Donald Trump was put in an unpleasant situation once when he failed to recognize a gift he had given to Queen Elizabeth II just a year before during his visit to Buckingham Palace in June 2019. The incident, which was reported by Emily Andrews, The Sun's Royal correspondent, focused on an odd conversation that took place during a state dinner that the Queen hosted. During the dinner, Trump was shown a pewter horse, which he had given the Queen as a present on a previous visit to Windsor Castle.

Andrews said that when Trump saw the statue, he looked perplexed and acknowledged he didn't recognize it. He was saved by then-First Lady Melania Trump, who informed him that the statuette was a present from the Trump family to Queen Elizabeth less than a year ago. The episode generated media attention and exposed what some perceived to be a disregard for diplomatic nuances.

During Trump's state visit to the UK, some unpleasant interactions were compounded by this moment. He had an awkward conversation with Prince Harry during the visit. this came at the same time he had called Meghan Markle "nasty" during an interview. Also, Trump publicly complimented Prime Minister Theresa May's difficult departure from the country as a result of the Brexit crisis, which occurred at the same time as the visit.

The embarrassing gift-giving event fits a pattern that has been seen when Trump remained in office. On June 3, 2019, Vanity Fair published an article examining Trump's history of giving gifts, naming him the "World's Worst Gift-Giver." The article highlighted the seeming lack of social grace in the Trumps' ceremonial gift exchanges by reliving the iconic moment when Melania Trump gave Michelle Obama a blue Tiffany box during the inaugural.

The piece questioned Trump's readiness for these kinds of meetings, particularly when he was seeing someone who had already received a gift. Melania had been reminded of the pewter horse that was presented to the Queen on their 2018 journey to Windsor Castle. However, the public blunder was caused by the President's disregard for the reminder or inadequate briefing.

On June 4, 2019, Insider highlighted how awful the state dinner event was. The event brought attention to the Trumps' nontraditional royal protocol approach as well. Neither First Lady Melania nor President Trump followed the customs of bowing or curtsying when they met Prince Charles; instead, they shook hands. This break from custom caused some people to take notice, particularly about the length and style of the handshake, as Grant Harrold, Charles's former butler, pointed out.

It was noted by Harrold that the President's extended handshake—roughly six pumps—departed from the customary two to three pumps when a prince was present. The Trumps also disregarded tradition by not letting the members of the royal family start the conversation.