Featured Image Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images
Topics: Queen Camilla, Melania Trump, UK News, US News, Donald Trump, King Charles III
Madison Burgess
Topics: Queen Camilla, Melania Trump, UK News, US News, Donald Trump, King Charles III
Melania Trump was seemingly left baffled by a very British phrase used by Queen Camilla during her state visit to the US.
The Queen, 78, and her husband King Charles III, 77, are spending four days across the pond with US President Donald Trump and the First Lady, attending events fit for royalty and partaking in a number of engagements.
On Tuesday (28 April), the second day of their visit, the couple's agenda was jam-packed, with Charles making history with his speech to US Congress, followed by a lavish state banquet.
But the day also included a ceremonial arrival to the White House, where they were greeted by Trump and Melania on the South Lawn, where four chairs were set up for them.
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One clip doing the rounds on social media shows the two ladies, both wearing all white, sitting down and whispering to each other ahead of the President's address.
However, it seems that the British weather followed the royals to America, as it was lightly spitting with rain in the capital.
According to lip reader Nicola Hicking, who spoke to the Daily Mail, Melania was left confused by a particular two-word phrase used by the Queen.
The expert, who analysed the clip, believes that the Queen remarked, "Oh, it's rather wet," to which Melania laughed, "It certainly is."
Camilla then responded with, "We shall have soggy bottoms," which Melania apparently seemed to question what she'd said, enquiring, "'Soggy bottom."
This makes sense since it is a very British phrase.
It was popularised on The Great British Bake Off to describe an undercooked, wet, or pastry base on pies, tarts, or other baked goods.
'Bottom' also isn't as commonly used for those in the US to describe, ahem, someone's behind, as they usually opt for 'butt'.
On Tuesday, as mentioned, the King also delivered a historic speech to the US Congress.
He became the second British monarch to ever do so, following on from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
In 1991, the former Queen - who passed away in September 2022, aged 96 - delivered a speech to Congress which lasted 12 minutes.
The King said: “Distinguished members of the 119th Congress, it is here in these very halls that this spirit of liberty and the promise of America’s Founders is present in every session and every vote cast.
“Not by the will of one, but by the deliberation of many, representing the living mosaic of the United States.
“In both of our countries, it is the very fact of our vibrant, diverse and free societies that gives us our collective strength, including to support victims of some of the ills that, so tragically, exist in both our societies today.”
On Monday afternoon, Donald and Melania Trump welcomed King Charles and Queen Camilla at the South Portico of the White House. The president and first lady hosted a private tea for the royals before giving them a tour of the newly expanded White House beehive on the South Lawn.
They later attended a garden party at the British ambassador's residence in Washington, with around 650 people representing the UK and US in attendance. Up to 3,000 sandwiches were prepared for the occasion, with guests ranging from Trump administration officials to retired British diver Tom Daley.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are expected to stay at Blair House, the official guesthouse across from the White House, during their state visit.
On Tuesday morning, the president and first lady will host a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House to formally welcome Their Majesties, featuring a traditional military arrival ceremony and a speech from Trump.
The King and POTUS will participate in a bilateral meeting to discuss the US and UK's relations. At the same time, the Queen and the first lady will join students for an educational event at the White House Tennis Pavilion.
King Charles will also deliver a speech to both houses of the US Congress, making him the second British monarch to do so after his mother Queen Elizabeth II’s speech during her 1991 state visit.
A State Dinner will be held in the evening, where the monarch and Trump are expected to give speeches.
On Wednesday, King Charles and Queen Camilla will travel to the Big Apple to attend a 9/11 memorial at One World Trade Center. They will also meet with the first responders and families of victims in the 2001 attacks.
The King will then visit a community organisation and attend a meeting with senior business leaders, while the Queen will head to a literary event to mark the 100th anniversary of Winnie-the-Pooh.
For the final day of their state visit, the royals will return to the White House to bid a formal goodbye to the president and first lady.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will then make their way to Virginia to visit a national park and attend community events celebrating the 250th anniversary of US independence.
The Palace says His Majesty will then travel to Bermuda to undertake his first royal visit as Monarch to a British Overseas Territory.