British Parliamentarians Divided Over King Charles III’s Visit to the United States
The visit of Charles III to the United States has not yet been confirmed but it is already causing waves. According to Politico, the visit is expected to take place during the last week of April, however, British officials have demanded its cancellation due to Donald Trump’s attacks on London.
Since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, Donald Trump has targeted his historic ally on several occasions and directly attacked Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer, accusing him of not adequately supporting American military action. Several British parliamentarians have therefore believed that the king should not go to the United States in this context.
Strongly Divided Parliamentarians
The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, called for the visit to be cancelled to condemn Trump’s “illegal war in Iran,” accusing the American president, a fan of the British royal family, of “seriously undermin[ing the UK] in a repeated manner.” Meanwhile, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Commons, Labour’s Emily Thornberry, suggested it would be “safer to postpone” the visit, arguing that the king and queen could find themselves in an “embarrassing” situation.
In contrast, the American ambassador to London, Warren Stephens, stated yesterday that it would be a “big mistake” to cancel the British sovereign’s visit to Trumpian lands. “I think he will go and it will be a very important trip for him,” he added, without explicitly confirming the visit. He also wanted to underline that the 250-year special relationship between the UK and the US was “indestructible.”
According to a YouGov poll published on Thursday, 49% of Britons believe the king should not go on this visit, while 33% are in favor.
