In an extraordinary moment during their meeting at Windsor Palace on Monday, King Charles appeared to berate a security guard and tried to hurry President Joe Biden.
Biden seemed to ignore Charles as he tried to get him to move on during the inspection of the Welsh Guards in the middle of a very emotional welcome ceremony ahead of talks on climate change.
A grabbing Biden, 80, risked breaking royal protocol by grabbing 74-year-old Charles’ arm while they shook hands and placing his hand on his back as they circumnavigated the quadrangle.
Biden also clutched the railing to get onto the stage where the Star Spangled Banner was being played after forcing Charles to wait for his SUV to drive through the castle.
At one point, the monarch attempted to get Biden to move on while speaking to one of the guards. The President stood and chattered on while the King tried to persuade him to move on, but was unsuccessful.
Biden is only spending 24 hours in London, raising questions as to why a full UK state visit is not planned. He spent just 42 minutes having tea with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street.
In May, he was furious after deciding to skip Charles’s coronation and send first lady Jill and granddaughter Finnegan, and he raised his eyebrows when he delivered a speech in June bizarrely with the words “God save the Queen.” ‘man’ finished.
President Joe Biden met and hugged King Charles on Monday after rejecting his coronation in May and as he faces accusations of being anti-British
Biden grabbed Charles’ arm as they greeted each other in the grounds of Windsor Castle
The President also put his hand on Charles’ back before taking a tour of Windsor Castle to inspect the Welsh Guards
Most recently, Biden had formal talks with Charles at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in November 2021.
Earlier in his UK trip, Biden attempted to refute claims he was anti-British by having tea with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the garden at 10 Downing Street.
The President said US-UK relations were “rock solid” and stressed that he and Sunak had held several talks in recent months.
A trip to Northern Ireland and Ireland followed, where he was accused of snubs and anti-British taunts.
“It’s nice to be back,” he said jokingly, “we only met once a month.”
The British flag was prominently displayed on the US President’s ‘Beast’ as it pulled into the famous road – in stark contrast to their absence during his visit to Northern Ireland earlier this year. Biden and Sunak greeted each other on the stairs with a warm handshake before beginning their conversations.
But there is growing frustration that Biden is largely ignoring the UK’s views, even though it will be their fifth meeting in as many months.
John Kerry (left, hand raised) speaks to Biden and King Charles under a chandelier at Windsor Castle
King Charles and Biden smile for a photo in the Grand Corridor of Windsor Castle during their talks on climate change
Paintings surrounded the couple as they strolled through the royal residence
They shook hands before inspecting the Welsh Guards in the quadrangle after Marine One landed at the site
King Charles III and Biden inspecting the Honor Guard of the Prince of Wales’ Welsh Guard Company
A tactile Biden places his hands on Charles’ back during their meeting Monday at Windsor Castle
More trouble spots have surfaced in recent days, with Biden throwing cold water at the idea of Ukraine joining NATO soon.
He also put Sunak in an awkward position when he said the US was supplying Kiev with cluster bombs – weapons the UK is keen to avoid.
And there could be a thorny row between the two over the next NATO chief after Biden appeared to block Defense Secretary Ben Wallace’s ambitions and endorsed EU chief Ursula von der Leyen for the top post.
British Conservative MP David Jones said ‘s involvement would be useless if there was no “positive reaction”. “The prime minister should remind him which country is America’s strongest ally,” he added.
As leaders settled on rattan furniture in the Downing Street garden, Biden told Sunak he “could not meet a closer friend and greater ally”.
“Our relationship is rock solid,” he said.
Marine One is escorted to the site by a Metropolitan Police helicopter
Members of the Welsh Guards prepare for an honor guard to be inspected by Biden and King Charles
The Welsh Guards arrive ahead of a meeting between King Charles and President Biden
Speaking at Downing Street Garden on the eve of a key NATO summit in Lithuania, Joe Biden told the PM the special relationship was “rock solid”.
Biden did his best to quash any signs of a rift in US-British relations, while the White House sought to downplay the importance of his opposition to King Charles’ coronation
A US Army member leaves 10 Downing Street with the nuclear football
Larry the Cat awaits the arrival of President Joe Biden at 10 Downing Street
But Larry was unable to hit Biden as an employee hoisted him off the stairs
Sunak said the couple will consider “how we can strengthen our cooperation and shared economic security for the benefit of our citizens.”
He added: “We are two of the strongest allies in this alliance and I know that we want to do everything we can to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security.”
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had pointed to repeated contacts with Sunak aboard Air Force One en route to London — with a rare slip when raising the thorny issue of Charles’ coronation, which Biden skipped. Instead, he dispatched First Lady Jill Biden.
“He will also have the opportunity to meet Prime Minister Sunak at number 10. This will indeed be his first time as President being in the No 10.” Of course he has been to the UK twice – once for the G7 Summit in Carbis Bay and once for the COP in Glasgow. And then of course he was here a third time for – the coronation – or, sorry, the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth,” he said.
Biden is said to be pushing for the current President of the European Commission to take charge of the military alliance.
But British MPs have complained that he is “indicted” after appearing upset that Britain failed to get its license to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.
Conservatives have warned that Ms von der Leyen was the “worst” German defense minister ever before becoming Commission President.
Under her supervision, the Berlin troops notoriously trained with broomsticks during NATO exercises because they did not have enough rifles.
Biden told CNN in a broadcast interview as he set out on his trip that Ukraine was not “ready for membership” in NATO.
“I don’t think there is consensus in NATO on whether or not Ukraine should be accepted into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of the war,” he said.
He pointed out that while war rages in Ukraine, NATO members are seceding every inch of each other’s territory.
“If the war goes on, then we are all at war,” he said.