Joe Biden puts his hand on King Charles' back. So, royal protocol broken?
The leaders then walked up a few stairs as a band played the national anthems of both the countries.
As Britain's King Charles welcomed US president Joe Biden to Windsor Castle for their first formal meeting since the monarch's ascension to the throne, the leaders were briefed on the Climate Finance Mobilisation Forum's discussions about how to better encourage big business in the fight against climate change. When Joe Biden's car arrived at Windsor Castle, King Charles greeted him with a handshake.
The leaders then walked up a few stairs as a band played the national anthems of both the countries. They also inspected the Welsh Guards. But a controversy broke after it was said that Joe Biden broke royal protocol by casually putting his hand on King Charles' back during their exchange.
A Buckingham Palace source told People that King Charles was "entirely comfortable" with Joe Biden touched the monarch on the back. "What a wonderful symbol of warmth and affection it was between both the individuals and their nations," the source said adding that it was in line with the correct protocol.
Read more: Coronation snub? What Joe Biden and King Charles talked about
Have Joe Biden and King Charles met before?
Joe Biden and King Charles have met a number of times before, including a 2015 meeting in the Oval Office of the White House. Then-US president Barack Obama and Camilla were also present at the meeting. The meeting between the two leaders comes two months after the monarch's May coronation in London which Joe Biden skipped. His wife Jill Biden, was part of the congregation and attended the ceremony with her granddaughter Finnegan Biden.
The Bidens also attended late monarch's Queen Elizabeth's funeral in September.
What else has happened during Joe Biden's UK visit?
Earlier, Joe Biden met British prime minister Rishi Sunak. From the UK, the US president will travel to Lithuania for the NATO Summit and Finland for a US-Nordic Leaders Summit, the White House informed.
