In one article I read it said he kept her “waiting” for tea. Knowing the media, I imagine she was out on the lawn (or wherever) before the cars pulled in.
Another video talked about Trump meeting his match at handshakes with the Queen’s “Lady in Waiting” (born in New Jersey.) The gal is an older gal, and shook Trump’s hand twice and pulled him in. I know older women like that - one is English in fact. She is so happy to see me, and it is more like holding my hand than shaking it! From the talking and the look on the gal’s face it looks like that is what is going on.
The same article says that the Trumps’ visit went longer by 17 minutes with the Queen than planned. Which they admitted meant that they got on well. I also read where Trump’s mother was born in Scotland, and loved the Queen. As a child, Trump remembers how whenever the Queen was on TV her mom would be watching.
Trump told Pierce Morgan it was a special honor to walk up to Windsor Castle and meet the Queen, and how he was thinking of his mother as they walked up. Trump told the Queen how much his mom loved her.
“I imagine she was out on the lawn (or wherever) before the cars pulled in.”
She was waiting under an awning just outside the door. It’s similar what our presidents do when receiving important guests.
I expect the Trump motorcade was there early, and probably waiting outside the walls to be told when to drive in. The first car appeared at precisely the top of the hour, probably as scheduled. It would’ve been the queen’s choice to show up early — or not.
I recall hearing Trump say how his mother was over the top about the queen. I wonder if she was “looking down” to see.
The DailyMail had a top of page, huge headline story that he kept her waiting for fifteen minutes, "refused" to bow to her, and walked in front of her, "blocking" her when they went to review the troops. Farther down, way farther down the page was a second article saying she arrived 11 minutes early and apparently elected to stand there on the platform under the canopy waiting. What were his people to do, plan for him to arrive early and embarrass her? As it was, the band played "God Save the Queen" to her when she got there and one other melody, and then Trump rolled in either on the dot, or within two minutes of the appointed time (conflicting reports).
He bowed his head slightly on making eye contact as he got out of the car, but when they ascended the two or three steps onto the platform, both he and Melania shook her hand and exchanged a few words, warmly smiling, and then took their places beside her. A law passed in 1776 said that the American president bows only to God. Not to any other man. (And that word included women, back then.) Our President is not her subject or her inferior.
Looking at the video of the troop review, the Queen gestured for him to walk forward to her left. He began to walk forward and she moved behind him momentarily, as if confused about just having told him to walk on her left, and it looked like she wanted to be on his left for a moment, then changed her mind. It really made no sense, because she is usually masterfully adept at protocol. He looked around to see why she wasn't beside him and stopped for an instant until she made up her mind and moved back up beside him where she had first indicated she would be. This is what they called "blocking" her.
The UK media did not want to let it go, not being able to admit that she could have made a faux pas, or chalking it up to a protocol lapse by her staff not having made things clear to Trump's advance people—or to her!
The whole platform thing was badly organized on the Crown's part. For instance, there were only two chairs on the platform. Had she chosen to sit, what was Melania to do, sit and let Donald stand, or stand and let Donald sit? So the Queen, aged 92, stood, and stood for quite some time. There was also an umbrella just hooked over the back of the gilded and velveted chair, as if it were a kitchen chair. Had she sat down, it would have poked her back.
The Coldstream Guards passing in review and playing music, however, were wonderful.