Former President Donald Trump has emerged from the virtual crowd of online well-wishers to weigh in on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and wish her successor, King Charles III, the best of luck.
"King Charles III, who I have gotten to know well, will be a great and wonderful king. He dearly loves the United Kingdom and all that it represents to the World. He will prove to be an inspiration to everyone. Queen Elizabeth has been, and will be from above, very proud of King Charles III," Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump's full Truth Social statement on the queen's passing, which came hours after a rant against the Lincoln Project in which he referred to the members of the American political action committee as "perverts and lowlifes," can be seen below:
"Melania and I are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Together with our family and fellow Americans, we send our sincere condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom during this time of great sorrow and grief. Queen Elizabeth's historic and remarkable reign left a tremendous legacy of peace and prosperity for Great Britain. Her leadership and enduring diplomacy secured and advanced alliances with the United States and countries around the world. However, she will always be remembered for her faithfulness to her country and her unwavering devotion to her fellow countrymen and women. Melania and I will always cherish our time together with the Queen, and never forget Her Majesty's generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humor. What a grand and beautiful lady she was—there was nobody like her! Our thoughts and prayers will remain with the great people of the United Kingdom as you honor her most meaningful life and exceptional service to the people. May God bless the Queen, may she reign forever in our hearts, and may God hold her and Prince Philip in abiding care."
During Trump's most recent visit with the Royal Family in 2019, he and Melania attended a state banquet at Buckingham Palace. Giving a toast at that banquet, Queen Elizabeth said "Visits by American presidents always remind us of the close and lasting relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States," according to Fox News.
Coverage of Trump's time with the royals pointed out that although most of the festivities went off as planned, apart from that time he made then Prince Charles wait an hour for tea, a few breaks in normal protocol were noticed in an earlier visit that took place the previous year.
A video shared by The Guardian shows that Trump shirked expected etiquette by walking in front of the queen, which is a no-no.
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"He met Queen Elizabeth and he immediately embarrassed himself by breaking royal protocol and wandering aimlessly in front of her," Seth Meyers said during a segment of his late-night show that aired after Trump's first royal visit. "The Queen just disappeared behind Trump. It's like a royal eclipse; the only thing missing was Trump staring directly at it!"
Notably, the Trumps were also late for tea during their 2018 visit during which Prince Charles and Prince William were absent.
"This business of Prince Charles and Prince William not being there for the Trump visit was a snub. They simply refused to attend," a source familiar with the planning of Trump and first lady Melania Trump's meeting with Queen Elizabeth II told the Times, as reported in earlier Salon coverage.
See video via ABC of the Trump family meeting Queen Elizabeth II for the first time in 2018.
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