King Charles has been “bounced” into hosting a full state visit for President Donald Trump later this year, after bulldozing reservations by the monarch who wanted to delay it.
Charles, has been irked in recent months by Trump’s rhetoric about Canada—a U.K. “realm” which counts the king as head of state—becoming the 51st state. He proposed in a hand-written letter which Trump brandished in front of TV cameras an informal, private visit to his holiday home, Balmoral Castle, followed by a full state visit later in Trump’s term.
However a report in the London Times Wednesday claimed that Trump had rejected this cautious approach.
Trump “made clear that his preference was for a full visit first, which would not be overshadowed by an informal handshake picture.”
The Times adds that the legal document inviting a foreign leader for a state visit, called a manu regia, was signed by the king and hand-delivered to the White House last week. Details are likely to be announced soon.
A former courtier told The Daily Beast: “Charles has been bounced into doing it now by Trump. It’s embarrassing for the palace, which sent the letter suggesting that there was going to be this cozy, informal visit first, but it looks like Trump saw that for what it was; an attempt to kick the can down the road. Given the general anxiety around the king’s health, you can understand where Trump is coming from.”
Buckingham Palace did not respond to a request for official comment, either to the London Times or the Daily Beast, but typically courtiers strive to make clear that state visits are not personal matters, but undertaken at the request of the ruling government.
In time-honored fashion, a source described as “close to the king” pointed this out to the Times and denied any suggestion of discord between the Palace and the government over the visit.
The Times says that U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer ordered the full “bells and whistles” state visit at short notice to cash in on the president’s oft-stated affection and respect for the British royal family, while the Palace “had hoped for a more leisurely and considered approach, building towards a full state visit.”
The Times adds that the Palace “raised concerns” about Trump’s inflammatory statements that Canada should become the 51st state, arguing that “impugning the king’s sovereignty” as head of state of Canada was another reason to proceed slowly.
Starmer’s decision to present Trump with a personal letter from the king in front of TV cameras in the Oval Office took a surreal turn when Trump proceeded to open the letter, marked “private and confidential,” on camera and read potions of it out. One source described the episode to the Times as a “c–k-up.”
Trump flashed the letter in front of photographers allowing large portions of it to enter the public domain.
Photographs of Charles’ letter showed that he wrote that he recalled a 2019 State visit by Trump and his wife, Melania, with “great fondness,” adding that it was a “pleasure to extend that invitation once again.”
The letter suggested that if Trump were visiting his Scottish golf course, Turnberry, he could “detour” to Balmoral which without “too much inconvenience,” and joked that a program offering “hospitality skills-training for young people” meant they “often end up as staff in your own establishments!”
The king also wrote: “Quite apart from this presenting an opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest, it would also offer a valuable chance to plan a historic second State Visit to the United Kingdom.
“As you will know, this is unprecedented by a US president. That is why I would find it helpful for us to be able to discuss, together, a range of options for location and program content.”
“In so doing, working together, I know we will further enhance the special relationship between our two countries, of which we are both so proud.”
The Times said that Trump demanded a state visit first, saying he did not “wish to see a holiday snap handshake at Balmoral during the summer overshadow the full glory of a state visit a few weeks later.”
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