Five lesser-known Windsors and the White House facts surface ahead of Trump’s UK state visit

As Donald Trump's state visit to the United Kingdom approaches, a royal biographer has offered five lesser-known insights into the Windsors' relationship with American presidents, drawn from the Palace Confidential newsletter.

Robert Hardman, a Daily Mail columnist and author of royal biographies, notes that Queen Elizabeth II met more U.S. presidents than any other monarch. He said she met 14 presidents, beginning with Harry S. Truman in 1951 when she was a princess during a visit to the United States, and she continued meeting presidents through the terms of Donald Trump and Joe Biden. “Queen Elizabeth II met more US presidents than anybody ever,” Hardman said, adding that she met every president thereafter with the exception of Lyndon B. Johnson. She met every president right up to Donald Trump in his first presidency and then Joe Biden.

The Windsor family's long history with the White House is described as a tapestry of formal diplomacy and memorable, sometimes awkward, moments. Hardman points to anecdotes that range from a president kissing a member of the Royal Family on the lips to a monarch sampling a hot dog at a public event, illustrating the human side of ceremonial relations.

Hardman ties these anecdotes to five key moments spanning decades of interaction between the Windsors and U.S. leaders. The moments cover the arc of public diplomacy—from formal state occasions to informal exchanges—that have helped shape the monarch’s role on the world stage and the presidency’s engagement with Britain. The anecdotes also reflect how the royal family has balanced prestige with approachability in a modern era of diplomacy.

The current moment, with Trump’s state visit, has revived public interest in this cross-Atlantic history. The 2019 Buckingham Palace state banquet, where Trump and the Queen stood at the center of a carefully choreographed display of alliance and tradition, remains a touchstone for how such meetings are framed in contemporary Britain. Biden-era interactions have continued to test and reaffirm the role of the monarchy in a rapidly evolving political landscape, underscoring the Windsors' ongoing function as a symbol of continuity in Anglo-American relations.

Hardman’s reflections in Palace Confidential offer readers a narrative thread through this history—one that acknowledges the Windsor family’s privilege and scrutiny while highlighting the human moments that have become part of the royal story. The account arrives at a moment when the monarchy remains a focal point of international diplomacy and public fascination, as audiences weigh the line between ceremonial duties and personal diplomacy in an era of heightened media attention.