Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles and Queen Camilla will undertake a state visit to the United States in late April, despite calls from some politicians to delay the trip due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East and strained relations between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump.
The visit, scheduled from 27 to 30 April, is intended to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence. However, critics, including Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey and Green Party leader Zack Polanski, have described the trip as a 'humiliation' given Trump's recent verbal attacks on the UK's armed forces. Davey accused Starmer of showing a 'staggering lack of backbone' by allowing the visit to proceed.
Foreign Affairs Select Committee chair Emily Thornberry previously suggested it would be 'safer to delay' the visit, warning that the King and Queen could feel 'embarrassed' due to the crisis. The announcement came shortly after Trump launched another verbal attack on the UK, urging the country to 'fight for yourselves' and seize jet fuel from the Middle East by force. Last week, Trump dismissed the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers as 'toys'.
Buckingham Palace stated that the visit is taking place 'on advice of his majesty's government, and at the invitation of the president of the United States'. The King is expected to address Congress and attend events marking the 250th anniversary of US independence. It will be his first visit to the US as monarch and the first state visit by a British sovereign since Queen Elizabeth II's tour in 2007.
Several Labour MPs have also criticised the decision. John McDonnell, former shadow chancellor, said Trump would use the visit for personal publicity ahead of US elections, while former shadow defence secretary Clive Lewis called it a 'profound misreading of the moment' to hold a state visit during an 'illegal war'. MP Kim Johnson also expressed opposition.
