US President Donald Trump has insisted that King Charles III agrees with him that Iran should never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. The American leader made the remarks during a White House state dinner honouring the visiting King and Queen Camilla, following bilateral talks earlier that day.
Trump's Comments at State Dinner
Speaking at the white-tie event on Tuesday evening, President Trump said: "We're doing a little Middle East work right now… and we're doing very well. 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. They know that, and they've known it right now, very powerfully."
As head of state, the King is constitutionally required to remain politically neutral, and Mr Trump's comments are likely to cause embarrassment for Buckingham Palace.
Political Reactions
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey had repeatedly called for the state visit to be cancelled before King Charles departed for his four-day trip, fearing the monarch could be placed in an awkward position with the president. Sir Ed told the House of Commons earlier this month: "President Trump is one of the most unpredictable people we have seen on the world stage, and I hope he does not embarrass our monarch."
King Charles' Diplomatic Speech
During his address at the state dinner, King Charles appeared to reference the purpose of his visit: to put the "special back into our relationship" — echoing the efforts of Queen Elizabeth II nearly 70 years ago. He spoke about the ties between Britain and America, drawing parallels to the aftermath of the 1956 Suez Crisis, when Queen Elizabeth toured the US to help repair relations after Britain's humiliating withdrawal from Egypt.
Charles told the guests, which included Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and golfer Rory McIlroy: "And yes, we have had our moments of difficulty even in more recent history. When my mother visited in 1957, not the least of her tasks was to help put the 'special' back into our relationship after a crisis in the Middle East." Some guests laughed when the King added: "Nearly seventy years on, it is hard to imagine anything like that happening today…."
Background of Tensions
The King's state visit, the most diplomatically sensitive of his reign, occurs against a backdrop of criticism from President Trump towards Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over the war in Iran. Relations between the two leaders have been strained, with Trump branding the UK's approach "terrible" and describing Sir Keir as "not Winston Churchill."
Earlier on Tuesday, a ceremonial welcome was held for Charles and Camilla on the White House's south lawn. Trump praised the "special relationship" between the US and UK, telling the King "we hope it will always remain that way" and declaring "Americans have had no closer friends than the British." Later, the King made a historic address to Congress on Capitol Hill, becoming only the second British monarch to do so after his mother in 1991, and the first British king. He told assembled politicians that the partnership between the two nations is "more important today than it has ever been."
Upcoming Events
On Wednesday, Charles and Camilla will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks by laying flowers at one of the memorial pools in New York, where the Twin Towers once stood.
