Queen Camilla shared a joke with US First Lady Melania Trump on the second day of the State Visit during the ceremonial welcome. As the royals and hosts, Donald Trump and Melania, took their seats, Camilla, who was dressed head to toe in pastel colours, appeared to say to Melania, “Oh, it’s rather wet.”
Adding to the comment about the weather, lip reader Nicola Hickling, revealed to the Daily Mail that the Queen joked: “We shall have soggy bottoms,” with the First Lady seeming confused and asking her, “soggy bottoms?”.
Later, addressing the crowd, the US President joked about the stormy weather being “a beautiful British day” which received a wider laugh.
The official visit, during which the King has been joined by Queen Camilla, is the first since Queen Elizabeth II’s in 2007.
Donald Trump has praised the “special relationship” between the US and the UK, as he hosted a ceremonial military welcome for King Charles and Queen Camilla at the White House.
He paid tribute to the “essence” of the “special relationship” in the wake of the Second World War, saying: “That understanding of our nation’s unique bond and role in history is the essence of our special relationship and we hope it will always remain that way.”
During the formal welcome, Trump said it was a “tremendous privilege” to host the royal couple, called Charles a “very elegant man”, praised the late Queen Elizabeth II as a “very special woman” and said his mother had a “crush” on the king when he was younger.
During the welcome ceremony, Charles and Camilla stood on a dais with the president and first lady as the UK and US national anthems were played by The President’s Own United States Marine Band and a 21-gun salute was fired in tribute by the Presidential Salute Battery.
Senior members of Trump’s administration were among the guests, including vice-president JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance.