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Trump called Catherine 'beautiful' — but was it a breach of royal protocol or just cringey?
CBC News ^ | Sept 17, 2025 | Natalie Stechyson

Posted on 09/17/2025 6:46:30 PM PDT by jerod

U.S. president kicked off his historic 2nd state visit to Britain at Windsor Castle

While observers weren't necessarily expecting a bow or curtsy, they may not have predicted a greeting this informal, either.

U.S. President Donald Trump's historic second state visit to Britain began Wednesday with a stop at Windsor Castle, where he was met by Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales.

Trump stepped out of his helicopter, raised his hand in a salute and then shook William's hand. Then, upon greeting Catherine, Trump shook her hand and said, "You're beautiful. So beautiful."

Catherine didn't appear to react one way or another. She reached out to shake first lady Melania Trump's hand, and the foursome walked across the lawn toward King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

There are no obligatory codes of conduct when meeting a member of the Royal Family, notes the official royal website, adding that many people do still wish to "observe the traditional forms" — which for men, is a neck bow.

So technically, Trump didn't breach royal protocol by commenting on Catherine's appearance, explained Justin Vovk, a royal historian with the Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada.

"But it would, in my opinion, sort of transgress the unofficial rules of personal diplomacy," Vovk told CBC News.

Later Wednesday, at the formal state banquet, Trump mentioned Catherine's appearance again, this time in his official speech that was broadcast around the world.

"Melania and I are delighted to visit again with Prince William and to see Her Royal Highness Princess Catherine so radiant, and so healthy, and so beautiful," he said, reading solemnly off written notes, Catherine sitting to his right.

Trump has a history of making comments such as these in public, formal settings, likely thinking he comes off as charming or that he's breaking the ice, Vovk said.

But it's unprofessional, he added, particularly when meeting members of the Royal Family — who are used to getting comments about their appearance from the general public, but not one on one, and especially not during a formal state visit when the monarchy's role is to put its best foot forward.

"It was very awkward. There are so many levels of cringe to this," he said. "How do you respond to something like that in a way that will not make the situation more awkward or will not come off as a rebuff of the compliment?"


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To: jerod

Trump had to stay outside the Center of London he’s meeting royals and Starmer in the countryside.

This criticism is nice compared to the fear of real violence aimed at POTUS they feared in the Center of London if he showed up there.


41 posted on 09/17/2025 7:18:42 PM PDT by Nextrush (FREEDOM IS EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS, REMEMBER REV; NIEMOLLER)
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To: simpson96

What did El Rushbo say about Feminism?


42 posted on 09/17/2025 7:19:29 PM PDT by Nextrush (FREEDOM IS EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS, REMEMBER REV; NIEMOLLER)
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To: jerod

Trump should have been more worried about being poisoned the lizards than offending them by complimenting one of them.


43 posted on 09/17/2025 7:20:14 PM PDT by Wilderness Conservative (Nature is the ultimate conservative)
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To: jerod

Shove it CSI, uh CBS.


44 posted on 09/17/2025 7:23:07 PM PDT by Fledermaus ("It turns out all we really needed was a new President!")
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To: jerod
I've yet to meet a woman that complained about being told they are beautiful.


Natalie Stechyson has probably never been told that.

45 posted on 09/17/2025 7:23:14 PM PDT by Robert DeLong
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To: simpson96

Probably never heard the word “beautiful”, or “pretty”, or “cute” or anything similar applied to her.


46 posted on 09/17/2025 7:23:26 PM PDT by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: simpson96

Origin of: Bite/chew your arm off To bite or chew your arm off for something means that one would go to any lengths to achieve a desired objective even at the cost of your arm. The expression is originally American from the latter half of the 20th century, “I was ready to chew my arm off rather than wake her.”


47 posted on 09/17/2025 7:23:58 PM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives)
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To: jerod

Princess Catherine has been battling cancer, so I think the President’s comment is a compliment but also a “You go, girl.”


48 posted on 09/17/2025 7:25:44 PM PDT by nanetteclaret (The Fourth Estate is the Fifth Column)
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To: jerod

breach of royal protocol or just cringey?

Let’s call it what it is; truth!


49 posted on 09/17/2025 7:26:44 PM PDT by rfreedom4u ("You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas")
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To: jerod

Should he have grabbed her hips and taken a deep sniff of of hair like Biden would have?

And Americans don’t care about a monarchy, no matter how many times the Kenyan bows .


50 posted on 09/17/2025 7:29:09 PM PDT by Organic Panic ('Was I molested. I think so' - Ashley Biden in response to her father joining her in the shower. D)
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To: simpson96
Trump called Catherine 'beautiful' — but was it a breach of royal protocol or
just cringey?

  
  cringe
51 posted on 09/17/2025 7:29:35 PM PDT by chief lee runamok ( Le Flâneur @Large)
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To: jerod

Wimbledon: “You got to be kidding me” 🍓


52 posted on 09/17/2025 7:31:57 PM PDT by Varsity Flight ( "War by 🙏 the prophesies set before you." ) I Timothy 1:18. Nazarite warriors. 10.5.6.5 These Days)
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To: tumblindice

I see what you did to Coyote Woman there! LOL


53 posted on 09/17/2025 7:34:27 PM PDT by Nervous Tick (Hope, as a righteous product of properly aligned Faith, IS in fact a strategy.)
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To: jerod

Some background music for this thread...

      "You Are So Beautiful" - Joe Cocker

54 posted on 09/17/2025 7:41:00 PM PDT by Songcraft
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To: jerod

President Trump can say whatever he freaking wants as far as I’m concerned. He should give Starmer a big, fat lip while he’s there, and run over the muzzie London Mayor Sadiq Khan with “The Beast,” until all that’s left of him is a grease spot.


55 posted on 09/17/2025 7:44:42 PM PDT by mass55th (“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
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To: jerod

While sitting at a table at a swanky ol’ Westchester (NY) country club at some meal after my father’s funeral a friend of my father’s sat next to me. All his football, naval academy, marine, corporate and golfing friends, his high school friends and all relatives were there. Horrified that he left all us young adults

This fighting irish-American prep school busy, whom all my family knew, said my name and then, he said “[my name]you’re a G-D good looking girl”

(There was an open bar. It was an Irish Catholic funeral)

He said it like it was just a fact and people need to hear these things. Even married women even princesses like Kate

No one took offense. It wasn’t creepy. It wasn’t drunken.


56 posted on 09/17/2025 7:46:32 PM PDT by stanne (Because they were mesmerized by Obama, the man for whom this was named, whose name they left out of )
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To: jerod

If a man, of any age, calling a woman beautiful (even a moderately attractive woman) is “cringey”, then we have fallen even further than I thought.


57 posted on 09/17/2025 7:47:57 PM PDT by Sicon ("All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." - G. Orwell)
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To: jerod

He spoke truth. I see no issue.


58 posted on 09/17/2025 7:52:31 PM PDT by NeverTyranny
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To: Larry Lucido

Now that comment is beautiful and very profound. Hehe! Bwaaahaaa!! What a bunch of crap. I wanna go throw tea in Boston Harbor. All of a sudden I feel very native American. 👌


59 posted on 09/17/2025 7:52:58 PM PDT by Equine1952 (MM1SS )
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To: jerod

Trump called Catherine 'beautiful' — but was it a breach of royal protocol, just cringey or is Natalie Stechyson an ugly, Trump-hating skank?

fixed it
60 posted on 09/17/2025 7:55:22 PM PDT by kiryandil (No one in AZ that voted for Trump voted for Gallego )
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