Washington's ambassador to the UK, Warren Stephens, has warned that cancelling King Charles III's proposed state visit to the United States would be a 'very big mistake'. Speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce conference in London, Stephens addressed calls to scrap or postpone the historic trip amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
While the visit has yet to be officially announced, Stephens expressed confidence it would proceed, stating: 'I think he will go and I think it will be a very meaningful trip for him.' He also revealed that US House Speaker Mike Johnson had extended an invitation for the King to address both Houses of Congress during his stay.
US President Donald Trump last week confirmed the visit was going ahead, saying the monarch would be coming 'very shortly' and that he was 'looking forward' to it. The King and Queen are widely expected to travel to Washington and New York in April to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence, though Downing Street has refused to comment on the timing.
Stephens adopted an upbeat tone regarding UK-US relations, dismissing concerns that disagreements over the Middle East conflict were harming trade ties. 'I'm unaware of anything that's being held back because of that,' he said, adding that intelligence sharing between the two nations remained 'vital and very useful'.
However, the ambassador acknowledged tensions over energy policy, arguing that high UK energy costs were deterring US businesses. He also noted that the tariff on Scotch whisky imports into the US remained a 'big point of contention'. Despite these issues, Stephens described the relationship as 'unbreakable', citing deep ties between intelligence communities and militaries.
