King’s US visit could mend special relationship: Trump
US President Donald Trump said King Charles’ state visit to the US could “absolutely” repair relations with Britain damaged by the Iran war.
Trump hailed the monarch as a “great man” in an interview with the BBC and said the royal couple’s trip would be “positive”.
He also warned that he thought British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had no chance of repairing the relationship unless he changed course.
Besides policy differences, the two leaders also disagreed over the Middle East conflict; The president called the prime minister weak and indecisive.
Charles, along with his wife, Queen Camilla, will begin the four-day trip with a private tea with Trump on Monday, followed by a speech to Congress, a state dinner and visits to New York and Virginia.
Buckingham Palace says it will not meet with Jeffrey Epstein survivors.
Charles’ brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested in February on suspicion of leaking government documents to the late US sex offender.
Former Prince Andrew has denied any wrongdoing.
Asked by the BBC whether the King’s trip would help mend strained transatlantic relations, Trump replied: “Absolutely. He is magnificent. He is a wonderful man. The answer is absolutely yes.”
“I know him very well, I have known him for years.
“He’s a brave man and a great guy. It would definitely be a positive.”
Trump also waded into the debate over Peter Mandelson and his appointment as US ambassador earlier this week, calling it a “really bad choice” but adding that Starmer had “plenty of time to heal”.
The royal state’s visit marks the 250th anniversary of the US declaration of independence from British rule, when the then 13 American colonies decided to secede from King George III, Charles’ five-time grandfather.
For Charles, this will be a moment to reflect on how the UK and US have since come together to form some of the world’s closest security, military and economic ties; For Trump, it will be another chance to indulge his love for the royal family.
Nigel Sheinwald, who was Britain’s ambassador to the US from 2007 to 2012, said the visit would not and was not designed to eliminate any existing hostilities between governments, but would show ties that run much deeper than any individual.
“This is a much more long-term visit than other visits. This is about the fundamentals of the relationship between our peoples and our countries,” Sheinwald told Reuters.
“It’s not about what’s going on today.”
Royal aides privately say Trump behaved impeccably during two unprecedented state visits to Britain in 2019 and last year.
“He is a great royalist,” royal biographer Robert Hardman told Reuters.
“He… has a single mindset about the British government, but the British monarchy is a whole separate element, and he’s a big fan of that. And he admired the late queen, who was a big fan of the King. For him, this is a big moment.”
with PA
