President Joe Biden 'wandering around' during King Charles III's visit

King Charles III welcomed United States President Joe Biden to Windsor Castle on Monday, July 11, on a work visit. Footage taken from their meeting had many viewers expressing concern over the president looking seemingly lost.

The two men shook hands before walking to a platform where they watched the band play their countries' national anthems, "The Star Spangled Banner" and "God Save the King." Clips from the event showed the 74-year-old monarch walking carefully as he motioned at his companion to climb up a few steps to the stage while looking down at where they were stepping. All the while, the 80-year-old president held onto the monarch's back.

Twitter users pointed this out with one writing, "Joe needs a walker. He grabs onto people to steady himself as he has no balance anymore." Another commented that the monarch "is leading him around, telling him where to go and where to look just like he was a child."

Meanwhile, others claimed that the president broke royal protocol when he repeatedly touched the monarch on the back and on his arm. He also walked ahead of His Majesty when they inspected the Welsh Guards. Buckingham Palace has since denied that President Biden broke royal decorum during his meeting with King Charles III.

Nile Gardiner, the director of the British Heritage Foundation's Thatcher Center for Freedom, agreed with the observations and said that King Charles III had to guide Biden, who seemed to be "sort of wandering around."

"Judging by the images from Windsor, it did appear that at times Biden almost didn't know where he was, and that's increasingly the case when he travels on the international stage. It's very hit or miss," he told Newsweek adding that "it's not always clear" that the president "is in complete control."

Gardiner pointed out that when President Biden was inspecting the British troops at Windsor he looked like he did not know what to do and that King Charles III "had to really guide Biden significantly." He also shared his thoughts about the reception of the president's visit, pointing out that "some of the footage was a bit odd" and that the "whole visit just looked pointless."

He said, "It doesn't seem to be a really invested visit. It hasn't been fully planned out. I'm also struck by the lack of attention there has been in the U.K. generally to the trip."

Gardiner noted that a visit by a U.S. president is usually a "very big deal" but Biden's visit to Britain on Monday "hasn't had the kind of high impact that you usually see with a presidential visit."

According to People, it was a low-key event because President Biden was not in the country for a state visit which would usually call for a palace banquet with other royal family members, including Queen Camilla, Kate Middleton, and Prince William, invited. He was there for work and they discussed climate change at the royal residence's Green Drawing Room. The two leaders were briefed on the Climate Finance Mobilisation Forum's discussions regarding ways to better urge big businesses and private finance to help counter the climate crisis.

During his visit to the U.K., the president also met with prime minister Rishi Sunak for just under 40 minutes. According to Downing Street, the pair "agreed on the need to strengthen our alliance and maintain our support for Ukraine" as well as economic ties."

President Biden is expected to visit the U.K. again sometime in the future. The White House in April confirmed during a press briefing that President Biden has accepted an invitation from King Charles III for a state visit. There is no formal date announced yet.