Did President Biden break protocol with King Charles?

 King Charles III  is said to have been “comfortable” with  President Joe Biden  touching his back during their recent meeting. The American president, 80, was seen with his hand on the monarch’s back on Monday. While many online dubbed the move a breach of protocol, a source told  PEOPLE  that Charles was “entirely comfortable.”

The source said, “What a wonderful symbol of warmth and affection it was between both the individuals and their nations.”

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The source also noted that it was in keeping with the correct protocol that the president walked in front of King Charles as they inspected the Guard of Honour.

The monarch welcomed President Biden to Windsor Castle on July 10. “It was an honor meeting with His Majesty this morning for a wide-ranging discussion on the global challenges facing our nations,” a picture of the pair was captioned on President Biden’s Instagram account.

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President Biden and His Majesty enjoyed tea together before viewing an exhibition of items from the royal collection relating to the United States. Monday marked the president and royal’s first meeting since King Charles’ coronation. While the American president did not attend the coronation service in May, his wife, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, and granddaughter Finnegan Biden did. 

Back in April, the White House shared that the president congratulated the King on his upcoming coronation. During the call, President Biden also underscored “the strength of the relationship between our countries and the friendship between our peoples” and “conveyed his desire to meet with the King in the United Kingdom at a future date.”