Donald Trump has claimed that King Charles agrees with him on preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, a remark that is likely to cause embarrassment for royal aides as the monarch is expected to remain politically neutral. The US president made the comments during a White House state dinner on Tuesday, after a bilateral meeting with the King earlier that day.
Speaking at the white-tie event, Trump stated: 'We're doing a little Middle East work right now … we have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we're never going to let that opponent ever, Charles agrees with me even more than I do, we're never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon.' The King, as head of state, traditionally stays above party politics.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson responded: 'The King is naturally mindful of his government's longstanding and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation.' Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey had previously called for the state visit to be cancelled, warning that Trump might embarrass the monarch.
During his own speech at the dinner, King Charles appeared to reference the 1956 Suez crisis, saying his mother had visited the US to 'put the special back into our relationship'. He added that it is 'hard to imagine anything like that happening today'. The King also addressed Congress, emphasising the role of Nato and support for Ukraine.
The visit, which began on Monday, comes amid tensions between Trump and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over the Iran war. Trump has criticised Starmer's approach, describing it as 'terrible' and calling him 'no Winston Churchill'. A ceremonial welcome was held on the South Lawn, where Trump praised the 'special relationship'.
