Donald Trump besieged Queen Elizabeth II with a barrage of questions about her family and regard for previous presidents, according to a new book.
The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History, by Susan Page, details the Queen’s relationships with a steady stream of US presidents, from her first encounter with president Harry Truman in 1951, when she was Princess Elizabeth, to the final state dinner of her seven-decade reign, held in 2019 in honour of President Trump.
During that state visit – the first of two Mr Trump has made, but the last during the Queen’s life – he reportedly probed her majesty about her grandson Prince Harry’s relationship with his wife, Meghan, a few months after the birth of the couple’s first child. At the time, the British press was routinely reporting that a feud had developed between Prince Harry and Prince William, and their spouses.
Extracts, published by USA Today, from the book purportedly reveal Mr Trump’s version of how the late Queen handled his questions.
Britain’s late Queen Elizabeth II raises glasses with US president Donald Trump during a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in 2019 (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“I asked her about it constantly,” Mr Trump said, according to the book. “I’d say, ‘Come on, tell me [what you really think]’.”
She replied: “No, no. It’s very nice.”
Despite the Queen’s propriety, the president was apparently unconvinced.
“I really think it hurt her,” he said, in reference to the fallout reportedly occurring in the royal family. “I just don’t think they treated her with the respect that she should have, frankly.”
Donald Trump reportedly asked Queen Elizabeth who her favourite US president was (PA Archive)
During the same state visit, Mr Trump also attempted, unsuccessfully, to draw the Queen to appraise the other 14 US presidents she had met – 12 of them while they were in office – and to pick a favourite, the book reveals.
“I said, ‘So could I ask you who was your favourite president?’” he said.
The book recounts that she replied: “Why? They were all so good.”
Of the encounter, Mr Trump reportedly said: “I couldn’t get her to say a bad thing about anybody.”
Despite refusing to choose, according to Page, Mr Trump had a theory that the Queen’s all-time favourite was none other than himself.
“We just got along,” he said. The then-US ambassador Woody Johnson agreed, writes Page. “The president has a very keen sense of things like that,” the owner of the New York Jets football team added.
Despite the recent strain on the ‘special relationship’, the White House is expected to announce the King’s state visit to the US this week, according to a report (PA Archive)
According to the book, some former presidents and first ladies were sceptical about Mr Trump’s presumption.
“That’s hysterical,” Jill Biden said, while Joe Biden shook his head, the book describes. “Oh, that fits his character, for sure.”
Hillary Clinton reportedly responded, “Why am I not surprised by that?”, adding: “I don’t think there is any evidence to believe that could possibly be true.”
The publication of the book comes as the “special relationship” between the UK and the US has been tested by Mr Trump’s frustrations with UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer’s response to the war in Iran.
Last week, a senior UK lawmaker joined the mounting calls for King Charles’s visit to the US to be delayed amid worsening relations between the two nations.
King Charles has been credited with playing a vital role in easing relations between the UK and the US, with the president’s second state visit last year seen as a broad success.
Despite the tensions, the White House is expected to announce the state visit to America this week, according to a report.
‘The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History’ is published by HarperCollins and will be available from 23 April