At around 12:15pm on Wednesday (17 September), US President Donald Trump, 79, and First Lady Melania Trump, 55, landed in the walled gardens of Windsor Castle.

Waiting to greet them were the Prince and Princess of Wales, who welcomed the pair as they stepped off Marine One.

Photos that quickly spread across social media showed the four exchanging handshakes before William and Kate led the Trumps towards the palace to meet King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

Handshakes Instead of Curtsies

After approaching the monarch, the president and First Lady again shook hands with Charles and Camilla before the group began chatting. But what caught the attention of viewers was Melania’s decision not to curtsy to either the King or Queen. She also skipped the gesture when greeting William and Kate after stepping out of the helicopter.

Many questioned why, but according to the royal family’s official website, no such gesture is actually required.

“There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms,” the site states. “For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way.”