Twitter counts ways President Trump 'insulted' Queen Elizabeth

Maria Puente | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Queen Elizabeth welcomes Trumps to Windsor Castle Britain's Queen Elizabeth II welcomed US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump to Windsor Castle on Friday. (July 13)

Before President Donald Trump met Queen Elizabeth II on Friday, British anti-Trump protesters warned it would not turn out well. Now that the meeting is over, they're counting the ways POTUS "insulted" their beloved monarch.

And of course the discussion is taking place on Trump's favorite platform – Twitter.

It's not enough that massive demonstrations took place in London and elsewhere, complete with a giant "Trump baby" blimp balloon mocking the president from the skies.

Trump tormentors – even self-described "non-royalists" – took to Twitter to acidly note moments during the teatime meeting at Windsor Castle when Trump did something that could be interpreted as a faux pas.

None of these moments were especially horrifying: He didn't grab her in a bear hug or trash her in a tweet as "fake news," for instance.

But he did keep her waiting for more than 10 minutes (which may not have been his fault), shook her hand instead of bowing, turned his back on her for a few seconds, and he left his jacket open and flapping and his too-long tie trailing.

Not off-with-his-head sins, to be sure, but enough to gin up the already peeved anti-Trump crowd in Britain.

"I’m not a monarchist by any stretch of the imagination but this is such an insult to Britain. Absolutely clueless, classless, thoughtless, lacking in any dignity and without a shred of respect," sputtered Matthew McGregor.

I’m not a monarchist by any stretch of the imagination but this is such an insult to Britain. Absolutely clueless, classless, thoughtless, lacking in any dignity and without a shred of respect. pic.twitter.com/RBFXe4yZ9H — Matthew McGregor (@mcgregormt) July 13, 2018

Many of them seized on the TV footage of Trump and the 92-year-old queen preparing to review scarlet-clad troops assembled in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle where they met. He turns his back on her, walks ahead and looks the other way as the diminutive monarch moves from one side to another behind him.

Plus, his jacket hangs open, looking a little sloppy. Trump has been called out on his un-presidential style mistakes before, including at his inauguration when his red tie dropped below the belt line and he left his coat unbuttoned.

It is considered impolite to turn one's back to the monarch or walk in front of her. For the 70 years they have been married, her husband, Prince Philip, 97, has always walked a few paces behind her in public.

Even prime ministers, after their weekly audience with the monarch, back out of the room when leaving her presence. It's just the expected thing to do.

Nobody told Trump, or he forgot.

Donald Trump inspects the Queen's Guards as they stand outside Windsor Castle #TrumpVisitUK https://t.co/bRNrNHaMFM pic.twitter.com/NXfUqKht0m — ITV News (@itvnews) July 13, 2018

"Very few people are this oblivious to the Actual Queen (images from @itvnews)," British journalist Janine Gibson tweeted in disgust. Gibson is a former top editor of The Guardian, Britain's left-leaning, republican leaning newspaper.

"Trump has also turned his back on the Queen. I have always believed this to be a mortal insult to a monarch. #offwithhishead #pulledapartbyhorses," tweeted Ian Beck, perhaps tongue in cheek.

Trump has also turned his back on the Queen. I have always believed this to be a mortal insult to a monarch. #offwithhishead #pulledapartbyhorses — Ian Beck (@ian_bec) July 13, 2018

The president and first lady Melania Trump were late getting to the castle (or the queen was early), forcing her to wait with some of her palace courtiers under a covered dais in the Quadrangle in temperatures nearing 80 degrees. Wearing gloves. She kept checking her watch.

But presidents are captives of whoever is doing the driving or the flying so it may not have been his fault. Royal commentator Victoria Arbiter, who works for CNN, Trump's least favorite news network, insisted he was on time.

"For all those asking, no, Trump did not keep the Queen waiting. He was due at 5pm and the motorcade drove into the Quadrangle at 4.59pm," Arbiter noted.

For all those asking, no, Trump did not keep the Queen waiting. He was due at 5pm and the motorcade drove into the Quadrangle at 4.59pm. — Victoria Arbiter (@victoriaarbiter) July 13, 2018

Still, critics fumed.

Then there was the whole bowing and curtsying business. British men who follow tradition bow when meeting the monarch and women curtsy, but they don't have to anymore and Americans certainly don't have to (1776 and all that).

You're supposed to shake her gloved hand when she offers it and that's fine (as long as you don't grip hard enough to leave white marks the way French President Emanuel Macron and Trump have done to each other.)

"Not a royalist but didn't like the way Trump was late for the Queen didn't bow & walked in front of her. Shows how disrespectful to women he is if he is like that to the most famous woman in the world!," tweeted a user named Bea.

Not a royalist but didn't like the way Trump was late for the Queen didn't bow & walked in front of her. Shows how disrespectful to women he is if he is like that to the most famous woman in the world! — Bea (@bigfan_of_cats) July 13, 2018

A user called Page Nine,a self-described anti-royalist, was nevertheless annoyed enough to post a patriotic pastiche of what looked like the ancient heroic British queen Boudica, her shield covered in a Union Jack, a British lion at her side.

Me: I'm fundamentally anti-royalist. We should get rid of the royal family.

Also me (seeing Donald Trump disrespecting the Queen): pic.twitter.com/elcqEUZbf9 — Page Nine (@p9outerspace) July 13, 2018

"I'm not a great Royalist - but that is incredible! Trump was in that moment oblivious of the Queen, who in some ways might reasonably be regarded as one of the World's greatest leaders? Also given all the formality he didn't button his jacket? Maybe a bit odd?," puzzled Adrian Ludlam.

I'm not a great Royalist - but that is incredible! Trump was in that moment oblivious of the Queen, who in some ways might reasonably be regarded as one of the World's greatest leaders? Also given all the formality he didn't button his jacket? Maybe a bit odd? — Adrian Ludlam (@adrianludlam) July 13, 2018

"Trump is rude & ignorant to everyone else. Including being extremely disrespectful to Prime Minister May & Queen Elizabeth when he was a Guest! He has earned every insult, every hate, every protest. Smarten up, eh?," tweeted Hope Aldridge.

Trump is rude & ignorant to everyone else. Including being extremely disrespectful to Prime Minister May & Queen Elizabeth when he was a Guest!

He has earned every insult, every hate, every protest.

Smarten up, eh? — Hope Aldridge (@HopeAldridge) July 13, 2018

"Who does Trump thinks he is. He comes over to our country on a supposedly working visit berates our Prime Minister on Brexit then back tracks accusing our papers of spreading fake news. Then to add insult to injury he keeps the Queen waiting 15 mins, doesn't bow just shakes her," tweeted Melanie Cassandra Burstall.