There’s one royal picture missing from Donald Trump’s UK visit

President Donald Trump took his wife across the pond with one goal in mind — but was forced to leave empty-handed.

Donald Trump seems used to getting what he wants.

However, the US President’s visit this week to the UK has been marked by him being bluntly refused one very particular souvenir he was reportedly desperate to take home.

That is, a photo with Kate and Wills, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

In fact, the entire itinerary of Mr Trump’s whirlwind jaunt to Old Blighty appears to have been meticulously choreographed to keep the younger royals as far away from the President as possible.

Like everything with royal life, that is far from an accident or oversight on the part of some harried, pinstriped courtier.

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The Trumps were given ample photo ops with Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, but that wasn’t going to cut it for the POTUS. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty

While the Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall all posed up a storm with Donald and Melania this week, the Cambridges were conspicuously absent from all the official shots that included the President.

Contrast that with then-President Barack Obama and wife Michelle’s State Visit in 2011, when newly-married Wills and Kate not only made time for an intimate tete-a-tete with the Obamas but invited a photographer along too.

The warmth and camaraderie between the two couples is blatantly apparent in the shots, as is the sphinx-like footman who somehow managed to get in all of the shots.

Similarly, when Barack and Michelle made a return visit across the pond in 2016, they were given the honour of being invited by the Queen to stay at Buckingham Palace.

During that trip, the Obamas were also bestowed with what some might construe as an even bigger honour: A private audience at Kensington Palace with a dressing gown-clad Prince George (and Kate and Wills) who looked somewhat nonplussed that the leader of the free world was interrupting story time.

Prince George’s cuteness was appropriate peaking when the Obamas ever so politely interrupted his bedtime routine. Picture: Pete Souza/The White House via Getty Images)

‘Prince George showed up in his bathrobe. That was a slap in the face, President Obama later joked of his meeting with the young Prince. Picture: Pete Souza/The White House/Getty

But so much has changed since then. Prince George is now unquestionably in a big boy bed and for all intents and purposes, Kate and Wills clearly went to some lengths to ensure they were not photographed with the current President.

At Monday night’s State Banquet, the Cambridges were seated at the top table with the Queen. The Trumps, however, were at the far ends of the table. (For example, Brenda, Baroness Hale of Richmond was closer to the President than Kate.)

Then there was that afternoon’s visit to Westminster Abbey. While William is clearly the more senior royal, it was instead Prince Andrew who accompanied the First Couple to lay a wreath there, which perhaps might be the most high-profile gig the Duke of York has enjoyed in years.

US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump laying said wreath. Picture: Mandel Ngan/AFP

Lastly, there was Prince Harry, who — short of wearing a hazmat containment suit — could not have done more to convey his discomfort at being in such proximity to a man who had recently called his wife “nasty”.

While the Duke of Sussex was photographed politely chatting to Ivanka Trump, he appeared stony faced and far from his usual exuberant self. Like his brother and sister-in-law, he did not pose for any shots with the President.

Aside from chatting politely to Ivanka Trump, the Duke of Sussex remained stony-faced. Picture: Tolga Akmen/various sources/AFP

Several former and current White House officials have told The Daily Beast’s Tom Sykes that Mr Trump is “obsessed” with what the royal family thinks of him and desperately wanted a photo op with Wills, Kate and Harry for PR purposes.

Despite his disappointment, Mr Trump could not reportedly complain because he had gotten plenty of time with Prince Charles and the Queen.

Wednesday was Mr Trump’s last day on British soil before he toddled off to Ireland where he owns a golf course on the rugged West Coast.

Daniela Elser is a royal expert and freelance writer with 20 years’ experience who has written for some of Australia’s best print and digital media brands | Continue the conversation @DanielaElser