A new biography has shed light on Queen Elizabeth II's private opinions about former U.S. President Donald Trump, revealing that the late monarch found him "very rude" and speculated about the nature of his marriage to Melania Trump. The revelations come from Craig Brown's book, A Voyage Around The Queen, which offers fresh insights into the Queen's personal reflections on world leaders she encountered during her long reign.
According to Brown, the Queen's thoughts on Trump were shared during a private lunch with a guest shortly after one of Trump's official visits to the United Kingdom. Despite his public claims of a "great relationship" with the Queen, Trump apparently left a less favorable impression on her. Brown writes that the Queen was particularly irked by Trump's behavior during their interactions, noting that he "couldn't stop looking over her shoulder, as though in search of others more interesting."
The book also reveals that the Queen privately speculated about the Trump marriage, suggesting there "must have been some sort of arrangement" between Donald and Melania. These candid remarks offer a rare glimpse into the Queen's private thoughts, which she typically kept well-guarded from the public eye.
Trump's relationship with the Queen has been a focal point of public attention since their first meeting in 2018, when the then-president visited Windsor Castle. The visit was marred by controversy, particularly when Trump was seen walking ahead of the Queen during an inspection of the guard of honor, a breach of royal protocol that drew widespread criticism. Despite this, Trump later claimed that he had a "great relationship" with the Queen and boasted that she hadn't "had so much fun in 25 years" as she did during their meetings.
The Trumps' subsequent visits to the U.K. included a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in June 2019. While Trump praised the Queen as a "great, great woman," he again broke royal etiquette by placing his hand on her back during a toast. Despite these breaches, sources at Buckingham Palace described Trump as a "model" guest, noting that he was polite and charming to the staff.
The new biography's claims about the Queen's true feelings are likely to be disappointing for Trump, who has frequently expressed his admiration for her. After her death in September 2022, Trump issued a statement lauding her "most meaningful life and exceptional service to the people" and noted that he and Melania would "always cherish our time together with the Queen."
Brown's book also touches on the Queen's broader interactions with controversial global leaders, including Bashar al-Assad, Robert Mugabe, and Vladimir Putin. Throughout her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II was known for her "soft diplomacy" and her ability to engage with a wide range of figures while keeping her personal opinions largely private.
However, the Queen's discretion was not always maintained. In 2016, Buckingham Palace reacted strongly to a report claiming that she had "backed Brexit" during a conversation with former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg. Similarly, former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron had to apologize in 2014 after he revealed that the Queen had "purred down the line" upon hearing that Scotland had voted against independence-a comment inadvertently caught by a microphone.
