28 April 2026 , 23:22
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King Charles and Donald Trump tried to outdo each other during the battle of the handshakes to kick off the monarch’s high-stakes trip to the US.
We have seen the King do hundreds of handshakes, but his greeting with Trump seemed like a loaded one as he countered the president’s famously aggressive hello.
Both men, who are in their 70s, would not budge during their first greeting on the steps of the White House.
Footage from the first encounter of the state visit yesterday shows an awkwardly long handshake lasting around 10 seconds.
King Charles steps in for the hello, which quickly turns into a tug of war.
It appears the King is putting up a fight against Trump’s initial pull, with his arm jerking in before the US president tugs back.
However, it appears Charles, who is two years Trump’s junior, won’t give in easily.
The 77-year-old monarch pulls against the president’s move, resulting in Trump gracing his stretched-out hand as if to end the handshake stalemate.
Meanwhile, Queen Camilla and the First Lady Melania Trump can only look on as their husbands complete their extended grip before the two women embrace.
The King and Melania’s greeting is also a thorough one, lasting approximately seven seconds.
Trump, 79, does not shy away from a long grip either.
During a meeting with the French president Emmanuel Macron, Trump held onto his hand for a whopping 26 seconds, with his knuckles appearing to turn white from the hold.
Security will be in the spotlight too during this state visit after a suspected gunman tried to storm the White House correspondents’ dinner hosted by Trump yesterday before he was tackled.
The US state visit comes at a tense time due to the protracted war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been drummed up by Trump’s outbursts like mocking of the Navy and Sir Keir Starmer.
To minimise the risk of any clash, British officials are thought to have been pushing for the King and Trump to meet away from cameras in the Oval Office later today.
Head of Investigations