The State Banquet at Buckingham Palace was in full swing. Crystal glasses clinked, chandeliers shimmered, and violins filled the air with soft melodies. Diplomats, royals, and dignitaries from both sides of the Atlantic mingled in polished civility—on the surface, at least.
It was 2018, and President Donald Trump had just arrived for his first official state visit to the United Kingdom. The press was in a frenzy. Every move, every word, every awkward handshake made headlines. The Queen, ever composed, maintained her regal smile, but those close to her noticed a flicker of something else—sharp observation, maybe even private amusement.
Later that evening, behind closed doors in the Queen’s private drawing room, a small, trusted group gathered: Prince Charles, Camilla, a few senior courtiers, and Her Majesty, finally freed from formalities. Someone mentioned the President’s long, rambling toasts and unsolicited advice on trade.
Camilla raised an eyebrow. “Well, he certainly doesn’t struggle to find words.”
There was a pause. Then, with perfect timing and that steely glint in her eyes, the Queen leaned forward and uttered six crisp words:
“He speaks, we all suffer, dear.”
Silence. Then laughter erupted. Even Charles couldn’t help but chuckle.
It was classic Elizabeth—dry, devastating, and delivered with the elegance of someone who had met every kind of leader, from Churchill to Mandela. The remark never made it beyond that room, though whispers eventually reached certain ears in Westminster.
The Queen never addressed it again. But those six words became a sort of royal inside joke—etched forever in the quiet halls of Buckingham, remembered as one of the monarch’s most savage, if private, remarks during her seventy-year reign.