Donald Trump has shared a complex and sometimes controversial relationship with the British Royal Family over the years—one marked by both high-profile encounters and behind-the-scenes drama.

During his presidency, Trump and his wife Melania had several meetings with the British monarchy, producing mixed outcomes. Queen Elizabeth reportedly found Trump “rude,” and Melania, too, was said to have been the subject of some royal mockery. A royal expert even claimed the late monarch once did an impression of the former First Lady.

Trump, throughout his time in public life, has met countless world leaders, dignitaries, and royals. After taking office in 2016, one of his significant international visits was to Buckingham Palace, where he met Queen Elizabeth II.

Their first meeting took place in 2018. While the specifics of what occurred behind palace walls remain largely undisclosed, accordingCraig Brown the queen did not hold Trump in high regard.

“Over the course of her reign, Her Majesty entertained many controversial foreign leaders, including Bashar al-Assad, Robert Mugabe, Idi Amin, Donald Trump, Emperor Hirohito and Vladimir Putin,” Brown wrote. “She may not have found their company convivial; upon their departure, she may even have voiced a discreet word of disapproval.”

Brown added that, “A few weeks after President Trump’s visit, for instance, she confided in one lunch guest that she found him ‘very rude’: she particularly disliked the way he couldn’t stop looking over her shoulder, as though in search of others more interesting.”

Queen Elizabeth’s Impression of Melania Trump

Craig Brown also revealed the queen’s view of Melania, writing: “She also believed President Trump ‘must have some sort of arrangement’ with his wife Melania, or else why would she have remained married to him?”

Trump, however, had a very different perspective. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he denied Brown’s claims, calling them “totally false” and dismissing the author as a “sleaze bag.”

“I have no idea who the writer is, but it was really just the opposite,” Trump said. “I had a great relationship with the queen. She liked me and I liked her. We spent hours together at a state dinner. She was a fantastic woman. I think it’s a shame that a sleaze bag can write an article that’s totally false. In fact, I’ve heard always the opposite.”

He went further, claiming, “I heard I was her favorite president, and you’ve heard that too. She would say it to a lot of people.”

Following the queen’s death in 2022, Trump paid tribute, remembering her for her “generous friendship, great wisdom and wonderful sense of humour.”