Donald Trump plans to invite King Charles to the US after the President's state visit to the UK this week. Photo / Getty Images
Donald Trump plans to invite King Charles to the US after the President's state visit to the UK this week. Photo / Getty Images
Donald Trump plans to invite King Charles to the United States after being thrilled by two days of pageantry in the United Kingdom, a senior White House official says.
The US President left for Washington this morning (NZ time) after spending time with the King at Windsor Castle and meetingUK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at Chequers.
“It was a really fantastic trip. The British know how to do this perfectly,” the official told the Telegraph. “They set the bar high for their trip to see us.”
Trump was making his second state visit to the UK, an unprecedented number for an American president.
Details of the planned invitation emerged as Trump flew home on Air Force One.
Before leaving, he thanked his hosts and praised the bond between the UK and the US.
“We’re grateful beyond words for the spectacular honour of the state visit yesterday at Windsor Castle, hosted by His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty, Queen Camilla,” Trump said.
“These are two fantastic people. We will never forget it.”
Yesterday, Starmer and Trump signed deals committing US companies to invest £150 billion (NZ$345b) in the UK, alongside other agreements on tech prosperity and co-operation on nuclear power schemes.
Starmer said: “We’ve renewed the special relationship for a new era.”
The state visit put the royal family front and centre as Trump was driven around the Windsor Castle estate in the Irish State Coach, before inspecting an honour guard and watching a Red Arrows flypast.
Later in the day, 160 guests, mostly drawn from politics and business, assembled in St George’s Hall at the castle for a full state banquet.
In his speech, Trump described the visit as “truly one of the highest honours of my life”.
He could not hide his enthusiasm as he talked about the banquet on the way home.
“Everybody was great. Even the men looked beautiful,” he told reporters travelling with him on Air Force One.
“It’s hard not to look beautiful in that room. That was one of the coolest rooms. That room was built for a table, but the table happened to carry 200 people.”
Chris Ruddy, chief executive of conservative media outlet Newsmax, who was a guest at the banquet, said Trump’s family connection to the UK – his mother was from Stornoway, in Scotland – meant that Britain had a special place in his heart.
King Charles III and US President Donald Trump inspect the guard of honour at Windsor Castle during Trump's state visit. Photo / Getty Images
“He sees it as one of the great worldwide brands,” Ruddy said.
“And a lot of it is that he sees Charles as a contemporary. And he likes him, and he sees him as a regular person.”
Next year is the 250th anniversary of US independence, and it is understood that the Trump administration wants to give the UK a starring role in the celebrations.
The White House official said it was still early in planning for a royal visit.
Queen Elizabeth II, the King’s mother, last visited the US in 2007, during George W. Bush’s term in office.
Officials will have to hope Trump will not make a similar blunder to Bush, who suggested in his welcome speech that the late Queen was more than 200 years old.
“The American people are proud to welcome Your Majesty back to the United States, a nation you’ve come to know very well,” Bush said.
“After all, you’ve dined with 10 US presidents. You helped our nation celebrate its bicentennial in 17 ... in 1976,” he said to laughter from the crowd.
The late Queen cast a glance at Bush, to which he quipped: “She gave me a look that only a mother could give a child.”
Days later, at a dinner party she hosted at the British Embassy in Washington, she said with a smile: “Mr President, I wondered whether I should start this toast saying, ‘When I was here in 1776,’ but I don’t think I will.”
