Commoners might have wondered whether President Biden broke royal protocol in placing a hand on the back of King Charles outside Windsor Castle on Monday. They already had shaken hands and were heading to a platform, up a few steps, to listen to a band and review the Welsh Guards, People reports, when Biden executed what appeared to be a casual gesture. The tradition of not touching the sovereign has a long and rich history in the UK, per Yahoo News, and Biden has faced complaints about touching people who didn't want him to.
Not to worry, a Buckingham Palace official said after the meeting. "What a wonderful symbol of warmth and affection it was between both the individuals and their nations," the source said, adding that the new king was "entirely comfortable" with Biden's pat. The president walked in front of Charles when they inspected the Guard of Honor, which the palace said didn't violate protocol, either; the king has spoken of making the monarchy more modern. Then-President Donald Trump caused a stir when he walked ahead of Queen Elizabeth at Windsor in 2018, then appeared to cut her off, per the New York Times.
Inside the castle, Biden and Charles held their first formal meeting, on climate change. Along with US climate envoy John Kerry and UK energy secretary Grant Shapps, they held a discussion with executives and philanthropists, the Guardian reports. The topic was how to encourage big business and private finance to help climate efforts in poor nations. Biden also met with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak before heading to a NATO summit in Lithuania, per NBC News. A White House official said the president and the prime minister discussed Biden's decision to send cluster munitions to the Ukrainian military for use against Russian forces. (More President Biden stories.)
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