King Charles to host Trump in September for state visit to Britain

MANCHESTER - Britain’s King Charles will host US President Donald Trump in September for his unprecedented second state visit to Britain, Buckingham Palace said on July 14.

The visit will take place from Sept 17 to 19.

“His Majesty the King will host the President and Mrs Trump at Windsor Castle,” the palace said in a statement, adding that further details would be announced in due course.

Mr Trump said in June he had agreed to meet King Charles after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer handed him a handwritten letter from the monarch in the Oval Office.

The US president will be the first elected political leader in modern times to be hosted for two state visits by a British monarch.

The late Queen Elizabeth welcomed Mr Trump to Buckingham Palace for a three-day state visit in June 2019 during his first term in office, during which he had a private lunch with the sovereign and had tea with King Charles, who was then heir.

Mr Starmer and Mr Trump are also due to meet in Scotland later in July, a source told Reuters last week, with details including the specific date yet to be finalised.

The two leaders have developed a warm relationship in recent months, and in June signed a framework trade deal on the sidelines of a G-7 meeting that formally lowered some US tariffs on imports from Britain.

In May, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney criticised Britain’s invitation to Mr Trump for a state visit, saying it undermined his government’s effort to project a united front against the US president’s talk of annexing Canada.

Mr Trump’s past visits to Britain have attracted large protests, with his 2018 trip costing police more than £14 million (S$24.1 million) as 10,000 officers were deployed from all over Britain. Most Britons have an unfavourable view of Mr Trump, according to opinion polls.

State visits are usually pomp-laden affairs featuring an open-top carriage trip through central London and a banquet at Buckingham Palace. REUTERS