Donald Trump’s return to the UK unfolded with all the ceremony a state visit promises: the sweep of motorcades through Windsor, the hush of historic halls, and the choreography of handshakes that say as much as speeches.

After arriving late Tuesday and spending the night at the castle, the president and First Lady Melania Trump stepped into a tightly scripted Wednesday—private meetings with King Charles, greetings from Prince William and Kate Middleton, a military welcome on the lawn, a Red Arrows flyover slicing color into the sky, then the glitter of a state banquet.

For all the precision, one unscripted beat drew the eye. During the troop review—a moment where protocol is practically a character on stage—Donald Trump moved first. King Charles appeared to motion for the president to pause, to hold position while the inspection cadence was set. Instead, Trump began to walk. Cameras caught Charles a half-step behind, wearing what looked like a polite half-smile that didn’t quite reach ease. It echoed a 2019 tableau with the late Queen Elizabeth, when Trump briefly forged ahead during a similar inspection and set the internet ablaze over etiquette.