Throughout her reign, Queen Elizabeth II rubbed shoulders with countless world leaders. While her diplomacy was impeccable in public, in private she indulged in some more candid remarks.
A curious example was her comment about Putin in 2003, when a dog barking at the Russian leader inspired her to reflect on the “interesting instincts” of canines.
However, it was his experience with Donald Trump that really caught his attention.
What did Elizabeth II say about Donald Trump?
According to a new biography by Craig Brown, “A Voyage Around the Queen,” the British monarch wasn’t exactly charmed by the former U.S. president after his visits in 2018 and 2019.
The Queen reportedly shared with a lunch guest that Trump had struck her as “ very rude.” She was particularly annoyed by how the president seemed to be constantly looking for someone more interesting to talk to.
The Queen even reportedly wondered aloud about the nature of the Trump marriage, questioning what kind of arrangement Melania might have with her husband.
“A few weeks after President Trump’s visit, she confided in a lunch guest that she found him ‘very rude,'” he wrote. “Particularly disliking the way he couldn’t stop looking over her shoulder, as though in search of others more interesting. She also believed Trump ‘must have an arrangement’ with wife Melania—why else would she remain married to him?,” Brown said.
It also didn’t help matters much that Trump made some protocol errors during his visits.
In 2018, he walked in front of the Queen at Windsor Castle, and in 2019, he put his hand on her back during a state dinner, gestures considered too informal for royal etiquette.
The curious thing is that Trump seemed oblivious to any displeasure on the part of the monarch. Back in the United States, he confidently declared that he believed he had been the Queen’s favorite guest, stating that they had never seen her have such a lively time.
“I had a great relationship with the queen. She liked me and I liked her. I spoke to her often, and I spoke to her in particular when I was there,” Trump said.
Brown’s revelation about Donald Trump’s antipathy towards Queen Elizabeth comes in the midst of an election campaign in the United States where the former president is seeking to be back in power.