Prince Charles and Vice President Mike Pence Deny Handshake 'Snub' Captured on Video
Did Prince Charles dodge a handshake with Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday?
A video that quickly started trending on Twitter shows Charles, 71, making his way down an assembly line of world leaders at the World Holocaust Forum. As soon as he reached the Vice President and Second Lady Karen Pence, he appears to evade a handshake and skips over to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
However, both Charles’ and Pence’s teams deny that there was any sort of snub.
“Vice President Pence and the Second Lady spoke with Prince Charles for five minutes in the pre-program before they entered the hall,” Katie Waldman, Pence’s press secretary, said in an email to USA TODAY. “Also they shook hands at the end of his remarks.”
Prince Charles leaves Pence hanging. pic.twitter.com/ANwejHmxne
— Jeffrey Guterman (@JeffreyGuterman) January 23, 2020
RELATED: Donald, Melania Trump Meet Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, for Tea
To reiterate her statement, Waldman also posted an image of the two leaders smiling and interacting on Twitter. “This is not true. VP and Prince Charles spoke prior to entering the event floor and after his remarks as well,” she wrote.
This is not true. VP and Prince Charles spoke prior to entering the event floor and after his remarks as well. https://t.co/Qr79TN42Ax pic.twitter.com/LhsQVtHMRF
— Katie Waldman (@VPPressSec) January 23, 2020
Additionally, Prince Charles’ press secretary Julian Payne retweeted a post stating that the two leaders had a “warm and long” conversation prior to the ceremony. Payne also retweeted Waldman’s tweet showing a video of Pence and Charles conversing backstage.
Correct 👇🏼 https://t.co/g67CIqwdef
— Julian Payne (@julianpayne) January 23, 2020
The Prince and Vice President Pence had a warm and friendly conversation shortly before the event began as His Press Secretary @VPPressSec confirms https://t.co/N6bJ6rCLag
— Julian Payne (@julianpayne) January 23, 2020
Still, Charles and the Vice President are on opposing sides when it comes to environmental issues, a topic the prince has been passionate about for decades, while Pence is known to have a track record of voting against environmental interests.
During a segment with Jake Tapper on CNN, the Vice President refused to state that the looming climate crisis is a threat to the United States.
Can’t get enough of PEOPLE‘s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
The Prince of Wales, on the other hand, has been advocating for the environment for decades, starting with a speech he made a speech on the topic in 1968. Recently, the royal also attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he highlighted a strong need for a “paradigm shift” in how the world handles climate change.
RELATED: Prince Charles and Prince William Have ‘Parallel’ Plans to Tackle Environmental Issues This Year
Charles also met with famed teen activist Greta Thunberg at the event, who is known for her critical remarks about President Trump’s handling of the climate crisis.
In December, Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, briefly hosted President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at Clarence House for tea before the Trumps visited Buckingham Palace for a NATO reception.
