Next week’s state visit from King Charles and Queen Camilla could “absolutely” repair relations with the UK, Donald Trump has said amid a growing rift with Sir Keir Starmer.
Relations between the prime minister and the US president have been fractious in recent months, with the president branding the UK’s approach to the Iran war “terrible” and repeatedly lashing out at Sir Keir – at one point describing him as “not Winston Churchill”.
Asked by the BBC whether the upcoming state visit from the King could help repair the relationship, Trump said: “Absolutely. He’s fantastic. He’s a fantastic man. Absolutely the answer is yes.”
“I know him well, I’ve known him for years,” he added. “He’s a brave man, and he’s a great man. They would absolutely be a positive.”
It comes after Sir Keir Starmer last week told the Commons that the British monarchy is “an important reminder of the long standing bonds and enduring relationship between our two countries”, insisting the special relationship is “far greater than anyone who occupies any particular office at any particular time”.
Trump’s comments will come as a boost to No 10, as there has been hope in Downing Street that Charles and Queen Camilla can help put the UK-US relationship on firmer footing.
It comes just hours after a former Nato secretary general warned that Britain’s military reliance on the US is “no longer tenable”, arguing that the UK should not expect relations with Washington to return to their previous state – even after Trump leaves office.
In his second attack on the government’s defence policy in less than two weeks, Lord George Robertson – who is also a former Labour defence secretary – hit out at Britain’s “naive belief” that the US would “always be there” in times of crisis, saying such a mentality has diminished the UK’s capabilities.
The state visit, which begins at the end of the month, will mark the 250th anniversary of American independence and herald the start of celebrations across the US, with Charles and Camilla marking the milestone at a “block party”.
The first time Charles and Camilla will meet the president and US first lady will be at a private tea only captured by cameras.
Later, Trump and the King will sit down for talks in the White House’s famous Oval Office while Camilla and Melania Trump take part in an event together.
However, the King and Queen will not meet with survivors of convicted sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein during their visit, sources said, despite reports that a private gathering was being planned.
There have been repeated calls by US congressman Ro Khanna and the family of Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre for a meeting with the King and Queen, and the Mail on Sunday reported that the Queen had been approached by victims’ rights groups.
