King Charles makes subtle power move as he meets Donald Trump at White House

King Charles has met with Donald Trump at the White House as his state visit to the US gets underway, and some onlookers think the mind games have already begun.

American officials have reassured the royals that everything will go swimmingly after the weekend (25 April) saw an armed suspect arrested at the White House correspondents' dinner which Trump was attending for the first time during his duration as president.

Despite safety concerns, the state visit is going ahead and when the King and Trump met in person it looked like the president tried to do his 'trademark', a handshake where he pulls the other person towards him sharply in an attempt to establish dominance.

However, observers noted that King Charles was 'having none of it', as footage of the handshake saw a bit of back and forth motion as Trump appeared to make attempts to pull his fellow head of state in, but the monarch's fingers refused to yield.

Instead, they clasped each other's hand for a while as Queen Camilla and First Lady Melania also greeted each other.

The BBC captured the moment as part of its coverage of the state visit, which included the Trumps having the royals for a chat in front of a picture taken of the president during an assassination attempt.

Viewers said it was 'so disrespectful' for Trump to try his handshake on King Charles, saying 'the handshake wrestle is insane'.

Plenty of others said it was an 'awkward power handshake', which didn't go according to Trump's plans as his opposite number was 'not having it'.

Trump has tried his handshake on all sorts of people over the years, grabbing hands and pulling them towards him sharply.

He tried it on Russian dictator Vladimir Putin during a meeting last year, and while he's done it to a great many people it doesn't always turn out the way he wants.

When he attempted to pull something similar on French President Emmanuel Macron it turned into an 'arm wrestle' which Trump wasn't winning against the younger man, as a body language expert said it turned into a fight for control over the interaction.

It was an awkward moment that lasted almost half a minute as the tension was palpable.

Others who've had to meet Trump have come prepared for his attempt to pull a power move with his handshake, as German chancellor Friedrich Merz looked like he'd done his homework and similarly resisted the handshake.

More than once the White House has had to explain bruising from Trump's hand after some particularly vigorous handshakes.

King Charles and Queen Camilla's US state visit schedule

Day 1: Monday 27 April

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.

Day 2: Tuesday 28 April

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.

Day 3: Wednesday 29 April

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.

Day 4: Thursday 30 April

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.