As the United States and United Kingdom sought to bolster their “special relationship” on Tuesday in Washington, Queen Camilla and first lady Melania Trump were seen but not heard.
Dressed in white ensembles, the women joined their husbands for an official welcome ceremony at the White House, where they walked a red carpet and observed all the pomp and circumstance: a 21-gun cannon salute, the playing of both national anthems, the US Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps in tricorn hats, and warm remarks from President Donald Trump.
Then, as King Charles III and the president met privately, the first lady and the queen retreated to the tennis pavilion for a spousal outing featuring historical artifacts, with a modern twist. Over string renditions of pop songs, it was nearly impossible for reporters to hear as they engaged with local middle school students in an event highlighting the use of new technologies in education.
The moment and its stagecraft spoke to how both Melania Trump and Queen Camilla are approaching their roles during this state visit, which comes at a time of strained relations between the UK and the US over the war with Iran.
“Neither one of them is stealing any of the spotlight here,” said Elizabeth Holmes, an independent journalist chronicling the royal family and author of “HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style
“In this case, Charles and Trump are very much the focal point. And I would bet both men appreciate that. Certainly, Charles has had times in his life when he was not the focal point,” Holmes added. “They are both representative of women that need to play this supporting part.”
On one side of the White House tennis court, Melania Trump and Camilla viewed a tablet showing what the students clad in Meta virtual reality goggles could see: landmarks of the United Kingdom, including Snowdonia, Stonehenge and Buckingham Palace.
Other students wore AI-enabled sunglasses that enhanced a series of artifacts curated by the first lady: a bust of Prime Minister Winston Churchill; a portrait of President John Adams, who was also the first US ambassador to the United Kingdom; and blue-and-white Staffordshire ceramic ware.
The use of new technology (a key platform of Melania Trump’s) to observe historical artifacts (a passion of the queen’s) offered an outing neatly tailored to both women’s interests.
After Trump briefly put on her own set of sunglasses, a student inquired with Camilla whether she was interested in doing the same, underscoring the off-script moments that can happen when children are involved in diplomatic events.
“You want to try these?” the boy asked the queen, removing his glasses. She shook her head with a polite “no.”
