First meeting: President Joe Biden and Jill Biden visit Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle. Photo: Paul/Reuters
President Joe Biden (78) kept his dark sunglasses when he greeted Queen Elizabeth (95).
Grant Harold (43), a former butler with Prince Charles (72) and Duchess Camilla (73), says he shouldn’t have done this, NEWSWEEK.
Harold believes Biden broke royal etiquette.
If you meet the Queen face to face, you don’t have sunglasses or anything like that. The former butler says that eye contact is very important during any introduction.
He is an expert in this field and gives advice on the customs and uses of the royal family via the website Royal Butler.
Ceremony Ceremony: The Queen surrounded the First Lady of the United States and the President while the US National Anthem was played in the guests’ honor. Photo: Paul/Reuters
The president visited Britain last week in connection with the three-day G7 summit. It was the first time Biden and his wife, Jill Biden (79), had met Queen Elizabeth.
The special attendance took place at Windsor Castle, where it was her base for the Queen throughout the pandemic,
It was OK for Biden to wear sunglasses, says Harold, but he had to take them off when he was actually facing the Queen, and adds:
– Everyone else has to do this. No matter who you are, even the royals themselves should take off their sunglasses when they meet other royals.
Harold says wearing sunglasses is something he is keen to convey on his website, because he believes it is a clear violation of protocol.
In this particular case, he also points out that while the sun may have been annoying, neither the Queen nor the First Lady wore sunglasses.
Glasses off: Joe Biden finally took off his sunglasses. Photo: Arthur Edwards / AP
Later during the audience, the president took off his sunglasses.
Numerous photos from the meeting give the impression of a pleasant and joyful gathering. However, the content of the conversations is not known to the public.
He said when Biden and the first lady returned to the United States on Sunday People At the airport before departure that the meeting with the Queen was pleasant, and that he thought she was “too thin”.
He said, “You reminded me of my mother.”
The president also joked that the entire White House could fit in the courtyard in front of the castle.
Queen Elizabeth became a widow after that Prince Philip passed away on April 10– 99 years old. Two and a half weeks later, it was the Queen in turn while leaving official duties.
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