Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner tried to have a meeting with the Queen, believing they were the US’s ‘Royal Family’

Um...

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump the Queen

Um...

Her Majesty the Queen may be one of the most recognisable figureheads in the world, but when it comes to politics, she's tasked with staying completely neutral.

So while The Crown speculated about Her Majesty's strained relationship with late Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and the internet speculated that she was subtly shading Donald Trump during a 2019 visit, we'll never really know what The Queen's opinions are when it comes to the ballot box.

But that doesn't stop political figures from trying to get in her good books.

Case in point: that time Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner tried to wangle their way into a meeting with her, believing themselves to be the US's answer to royalty.

Yep, according to a new book by a veteran of the Trump administration, Jared and Ivanka tried to win time with the Queen during a visit to the UK while Ivanka's father was in office.

Former Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, whose Trump-era memoir I’ll Take Your Questions Now is soon to be published in the US, claims that "Jared and Ivanka thought they were the royal family of the United States", and tried to muscle in on the president and first lady's meeting with the Queen – a move that would have been a breach of protocol for a state visit.

In excerpts obtained by The Washington Post, Grisham recalls how the couple's plan failed to come to fruition because they couldn't fit in the presidential helicopter.

The author also alleges that FLOTUS Melania Trump and the White House staff referred to Ivanka as "the Princess", and that Ivanka would often refer to the president as "my father" in work meetings, The Post reports. Eeek.

The press secretary turned author is also said to call Jared "the Slim Reaper" because of his tendency to involve himself with others people's projects, before swiftly removing himself when problems arose.

The Queen met with Trump twice during his presidency, with 'The Donald' later claiming that the monarch "had the most fun in 25 years" during his visit.

Now we know that she's supposed to remain politically neutral, but something tells us that Her Majesty may have had a few choice words of her own to say behind closed doors in response.

Kate McCusker

Kate McCusker is a freelance writer at Marie Claire UK, having joined the team in 2019. She studied fashion journalism at Central Saint Martins, and her byline has also appeared in Dezeen, British Vogue, The Times and woman&home. In no particular order, her big loves are: design, good fiction, bad reality shows and the risible interiors of celebrity houses.