Did President Biden Breach Royal Protocol by Putting His Hand on King Charles’ Back? The Palace Responds

The King welcomed President Joe Biden at Windsor Castle for their first formal meeting of the new royal reign

Royal protocol is more casual than it used to be.

King Charles welcomed United States President Joe Biden to Windsor Castle on Monday for the two men’s first formal meeting of the new royal reign. Inside the royal residence’s Green Drawing Room, King Charles and President Biden were briefed on the Climate Finance Mobilisation Forum’s discussions about how to better encourage big business and private finance to help counter the climate crisis.

When Biden’s car arrived at Windsor Castle, King Charles greeted him with a handshake. They then made their way up a few stairs to a platform to watch a band play both countries’ national anthems and inspect the Welsh Guards.

But there was some speculation that Biden broke royal protocol by casually putting his hand on King Charles’ during their exchange.

RELATED: Why Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla Won’t Sport Tiaras During President Biden’s U.K. Visit

However, a Buckingham Palace source confirms King Charles was “entirely comfortable” with Biden touching the monarch on the back. “What a wonderful symbol of warmth and affection it was between both the individuals and their nations,” the source says.

The source adds that — despite some claims to the contrary — it was in keeping with the correct protocol that the President, 80, walked in front of the King, 74, during the inspection of the Guard of Honor.

Biden and King Charles have met a number of times before, including a 2015 meeting in the Oval Office of the White House with then-President Barack Obama and Queen Camilla (who was then known as the Duchess of Cornwall) to the COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2021.

The meeting between King Charles and President Biden comes two months after the monarch’s May coronation in London. Though Biden did not attend the crowning ceremony at Westminster Abbey — no American president ever has, according to the BBC! — his wife, first lady Dr. Jill Biden, was part of the congregation. She attended the historic church service with her granddaughter Finnegan Biden and chatted with Kate Middleton at a special Buckingham Palace reception for overseas guests on coronation eve.

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The Bidens also attended Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in September.

Biden’s visit was low-key compared to other presidential welcomes to the U.K. — and that’s because the President was on a working visit rather than an official state visit, which can be accompanied by a palace banquet — complete with royal women like Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales sporting tiaras.

But a U.S. state banquet may occur in the near future — in April, the White House said that Biden accepted the King’s invitation for a state visit during a phone call ahead of the coronation.

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Earlier on Monday, Biden met British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. From the U.K., the president will travel to Lithuania for the NATO Summit and Finland for a U.S.-Nordic Leaders Summit, the White House said.

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