Awkward moments Queen Elizabeth shared with world leaders through the years

Being Britain’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II met countless presidents, prime ministers over decades.

Yet, despite her reputation for grace and composure, some encounters didn’t go as smoothly as expected.

Here are some awkward instances that the late Queen Elizabeth II faced

Michelle Obama and Queen Elizabeth

During their 2009 trip to Buckingham Palace, Michelle Obama raised a few eyebrows when she casually put her arms around the Queen.

In her memoir Becoming, Michelle revealed that she and the Queen shared a connection as they talked about struggling with wearing painful and uncomfortable high heels.

"Forget that she sometimes wore a diamond crown and that I'd flown to London on a presidential jet; we were two tired ladies oppressed by our shoes," she penned. "I then did what's instinctive to me anytime I feel connected to a new person, which is to express my feelings outwardly. I laid a hand affectionately across her shoulder."

It wasn't until afterwards that Michelle had realised her gesture was considered a major mistake, as royal etiquette doesn’t allow touching the queen. She admitted that she had done something that "would be deemed as an epic faux pas."

"If I hadn’t done the proper thing at Buckingham Palace, I had at least done the human thing," she went on to state in her book.

"I daresay the queen was OK with it, too, because when I touched her, she only pulled closer, resting a gloved hand lightly on the small of my back."

Donald Trump and Queen Elizabeth

In 2018, Donald Trump appeared to have broken Royal traditions too, while at Windsor Castle.

Although bowing or curtsying isn’t required when meeting the Royals, their official website states that many people still prefer this traditional gesture.

However, during his visit, Donald Trump chose to firmly shake hands instead.

But this wasn’t the only time he broke tradition.

According to The New York Times, he even stepped ahead of her, directly walking in front of the Queen, seemingly cutting her off. This is often considered to be a breach of Royal protocol.

Queen Elizabeth and Donald Trump at the State Banquet

During a USA Today Livestream, roughly 14 minutes in, Donald Trump appeared to have seemingly placed his hand on Queen Elizabeth II’s back for a brief moment. This move is also considered to be a violation of Royal protocol.

According to Royal Tradition, the Queen must never be touched unless she is the one who initiates by extending her hand.

Joe Biden and Queen Elizabeth

During his first presidential trip abroad, Joe Biden slipped up and raised some eyebrows when he kept his sunglasses on while greeting Queen Elizabeth, accidentally breaking protocol.

While the Royal family’s website doesn’t specifically mention that sunglasses are banned, a former palace aide came forward speaking to Newsweek and revealed that wearing the accessory does in fact go against tradition.

Grant Harold, the Royal Butler to King Charles stated, "If you’re meeting the queen face-to-face, there’s no sunglasses or anything like that at all because eye contact is quite important with any introduction."