Politics Home | King’s US State Visit To Go Ahead Despite Trump Attacks On UK Over Iran

King Charles III and Queen Camilla with US President Donald Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, at Windsor Castle last year (Alamy)

3 min read34 min

The US trip has been expected for some time, and the palace confirmed on Tuesday that it will go ahead to “celebrate the historic connections and the modern bilateral relationship” between the countries and mark the 250th anniversary of US independence.

It will be the first UK state visit to the US since Queen Elizabeth II visited in 2007.

The King and Queen will attend a state dinner at the White House, with the King also expected to deliver an address to Congress.

The announcement comes at an awkward moment in UK-US relations, however, with Trump having repeatedly criticised Starmer in recent weeks over his refusal to commit the UK to greater involvement in the US and Israel’s war with Iran.

Trump attacked Starmer after the UK refused to permit the use of British bases for initial US-Israel strikes on Iran earlier this year.

Since then, the UK government has granted the US permission to use British bases for what it describes as defensive strikes on Tehran. However, Starmer has refused to go further, reiterating on Monday that the conflict in the Middle East is “not our [the UK’s] war”.

UK veterans were also angered by Trump’s comment in January that UK troops had stayed a “little back, a little off the front lines” in the war in Afghanistan, which appeared to downplay the UK’s military involvement.

On Tuesday, Trump suggested that it will be up to the UK and other countries to re-open the Strait of Hormuz — the vital shipping lane that has been brought to an effective standstill by the war — and accused them of lacking courage.

He posted on his platform Truth Social: “All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.

“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!”

Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, said he opposed the state visit taking place. 

He said: “The Prime Minister is showing a staggering lack of backbone by pushing ahead with this state visit while Donald Trump treats our country with contempt.

“To send the King on a state visit to the US after Trump dismissed our Royal Navy as ‘toys’ is a humiliation, and a sign of a government too weak to stand up to bullies. 

“What appalling thing does Trump have to do next to make the Government see sense and cancel the state visit?”

According to a YouGov survey last week, 49 per cent of the British public were against the state visit to the US, while 33 per cent were in support of it.