Dutch Queen appears to mock Trump on live TV
The official visit of President Donald Trump to the Netherlands on the occasion of this year NATO summit was expected to be a simple diplomatic task.
It had the potential of being a typical meeting of top leaders with well planned encounters, photo opportunities and addresses on international collaboration and military expenditures.
The thing is that nobody anticipated that the time to take the bulk of the headlines would not arrive due to the Trump policies or a handshake with world leaders, but because of a couple of seconds of motion by Queen Mxyma of the Netherlands which now has gone viral.
The accident took place during an ordinary photo session in the home of the royal family in the Netherlands, the Huis ten Bosch Palace, the official residence of the kingdom.
Trump was visiting the palace after a new overnight stay on the prime ministerial plane that he had travelled on, at the request of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Mxima.
The meeting came as part of a general charm offensive that Trump was engaging as he was trying to tighten the alliances in NATO amidst the increasing tension in the Middle East and Europe.
Royal press call video footage displays Trump, the King and Queen Mxima standing beside each other in lines of fewer reporters and photographers. It is a serious yet genial atmosphere.
The then-President Trump, with his habitual relaxed and animated demeanor when called upon to such settings, signs off with a special thumbs over the cameras and turns to the King.
That is the image we are looking at, Trump says with a smile apparently addressing the photograph staff taking the shot.
Well, you had a good sleeper! King Willem-Alexander answers with a laugh.
After that, Trump responds with, “It was fantastic, the house is…” but leaves the rest unfinished to point to the press with exaggeratedly warm tones saying, “Thanks!”
What occurs after that is delicate – but clear cut.
Just at the moment when Trump says his word, turns his back to the royals, but is facing the media, Queen Mxima, who has been sitting silently and obediently until this moment, turns her lips in the same pattern that Trump is talking.
She keeps a straight face yet her eyes are widened subtly, a feature very much out of the otherwise strict character of the event. Then she looks directly to the camera. It is only a brief glance, perhaps a second or two but it is strong.
It was immediately familiar to many viewers as a breaking the fourth wall joke on the level of the sitcom mockumentary comedic reaction television, such as The Office.
Such a small movement initiated a global wave of response.
Hours later, the video has been posted thousands of times throughout the social media. One user posted on X (formerly Twitter), writing; WAIT A MINUTE WAS QUEEN MAXIMA OF THE NETHERLANDS IMPERSONATING DONALD TRUMP? There were other admixed responses.
One of the viewers commented that she loved it when Queen Mxima mimes the mouth movements of Trump.
Another said, in jest: “This is one Truth Social post Lady just popped herself off”.
Not all the responses were positive: one user wrote: “She is now my queen!” Treat him as a toddler, Queen MÃ High Tops Aig (@mraig) (@mraig) June 16, 2016
Nor was it looked upon as a moment of levity, by all.
One of the critics even noted: What kind of unprofessional, juvenile stunt is this to think of doing especially by a person in a royal position. Just think how people would speak out in case of reversal.
Another commented: “She is a representative of her country which is not a late-night comedy act.”
Even specialists were not left behind by the controversy.
The psychologist and body language analyst named Darren Stanton gave his take on the incident in an interview with Unilad stating to be based in the United Kingdom. Stanton believes that the actions of the Queen were not random.
Stanton explained, comparing the moves to those of Trump, that she is imitating his movements, and such imitation in the psychological sense can be considered a dominance thing. On one hand, the King is more closed and offers a self-comforting movement of his hands over his abdomen,
whereas Queen M xx Kim is turned towards Trump completely and repeating his intensity. On the one hand she is talking at the subconscious level that she is not impressed, or that she is being cool but in her own unique style.”
This has now turned to be the most talked about moment of the summit whether inadvertently or not, because of this flair.
The 2018 NATO summit did not leave without any substance. After more than a week of hostilities across the borders, Trump boasted about a breakthrough ceasefire pact between Israel and Iran.
According to him, the deal was reached after feverish shuttle diplomacy by Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, with Qatari officials playing key mediator roles.
Trump took advantage of the podium to declare smarter investments in the military throughout Europe and reiterated this point that NATO members should fulfill their defense spending levels.
Yet to the millions of on-line viewers, policy went to the back seat as palace drama overrode the rest.
European diplomats have been keeping quiet on the moment. Both the Dutch royal household and the White house avoided commenting and released no statement on the behavior of Queen Mxima.
The critics are divided: they either speak of the subtle discontent of the Queen states of Trump attitude and position in comparison saying it was a bare expression of human response in the rigid formality of diplomacy.
The elegant and modern Queen Mximax of Argentinian origin has always been deemed as relatable. Reputed to be a social worker, economist and light natured, she is not unfamiliar with the art of
negotiating in a high pressure situation with tact. This, however, one second of unacted countenance, will perhaps become one of the most distinctive of her historical career.
Did it happen spontaneously, did it happen as a carefully thought-out jab, or was it even just a coincidence, but one thing is clear: Queen Mxima rocked the world into staring in silence – without uttering a word.
