Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has been placing friendly calls to Commonwealth and allied leaders in recent months, and on June 30, it was revealed that she’d spoken to President Donald Trump, 74, earlier in the day. The announcement came via Twitter, and the comments soon flooded with responses from Americans saying that they were sorry for anything horrible Trump might have said. People assumed the worst when it came to his conversational skills with the still sharp 94-year-old monarch. Especially in light of the reports that he called former British Prime Minister Theresa May “weak” in a phone call with her, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel “stupid.”
Today, The Queen spoke to President Trump by telephone from Windsor Castle ahead of Independence Day in the United States on the 4th July. pic.twitter.com/muO6us90Hs
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) June 30, 2020
I apologise to Her Majesty on behalf of the US citizenry. That lout does not represent even a bare majority of us.
— Brett King (@Zoar28) June 30, 2020
Along with a photo of a smiling QEII meeting with Trump and wife Melania when they visited her in London in June 2019, the tweet via The Royal Family‘s account read, “Today, The Queen spoke to President Trump by telephone from Windsor Castle ahead of Independence Day in the United States on the 4th July.”
A follow up message added, “The telephone call is the latest in a series Her Majesty has held with world leaders in recent months, including President Macron, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister Scott Morrison.” Those would be the leaders of France, New Zealand, Canada and Australia. So the Queen reserves her calls for Britain’s strongest allies and/or Commonwealth nations. However the announcement about talking to Trump was met with deep “I’m sorry” responses from Americans.
I apologise to Her Majesty on behalf of the US citizenry. That lout does not represent even a bare majority of us.
— Brett King (@Zoar28) June 30, 2020
User @DellaStreet5969 write, “Our deepest and most sincere apologies. Hopefully this is the last time HM will ever have to speak with him,” referring to how he could be voted out of office in Nov. 2020 if Democrat Joe Biden wins the presidential election. A third year law student who goes by @LawIbbetson replied, “My apologies to the queen. No one should have to go through that,” referring to talking to Trump.
@jayhawkjack wrote “@RoyalFamily Oh god. How horrible that must have been for her. On behalf of a majority of my country who can’t stand him I apologize for whatever was said.” User @EdGreenberger had the timely zinger, “@RoyalFamily Did he call her weak and stupid? He apparently likes to do that when he talks to powerful women on the phone.”
That was in reference to a June 29 article journalist Carl Bernstein, 76, wrote for CNN where the icon of the truth (he was half of the Woodward & Bernstein reporting team that helped expose the Nixon administration’s Watergate scandal for the Washington Post in 1972) wrote about Trump’s behavior on phone calls with powerful world leaders. Trump allegedly saved his worst wrath for female leaders, reportedly bullying May by calling her a “fool” over issues like Brexit and immigration, and Merkel “stupid.” An unnamed German official confirmed to Bernstein that Trump’s calls to Merkel were “‘very aggressive” and “problematic,” but that she handled him by remaining calm.
Fortunately for Queen Elizabeth, Trump has had a cordial relationship with the sovereign. She held a state banquet at Buckingham Palace for the president on June 3, 2019 when he was on a state visit to London. Trump loved all of the pomp and circumstance that came with the black tie and tails event — along with tiaras and royal gems abound — that he behaved himself and has shown her majesty a degree of reverence as a result.
Trump even sang the queen’s praises when her grandson Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle decided in Jan. 2020 to step down as senior members of the Royal Family. “She’s a great woman. She’s never made a mistake, if you look. She’s had like a flawless time,” Trump told Fox News, adding “I don’t want to go into the whole (Harry and Meghan) thing. I just have such respect for the queen. I don’t think this should be happening to her.”