King of the United Kingdom Charles III arrived in the USA amid issues in U.S.-British relations due to the war in Iran. Donald and Melania Trump welcomed the British monarch and his wife Camilla at the White House.
King of the United Kingdom Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, arrived for an official visit to the United States on Monday, April 27. U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump welcomed the British royal couple at the White House in Washington, writes DW.
On Tuesday, Charles III plans to deliver a speech before both chambers of the U.S. Congress. This will be the second time in history that a British monarch speaks before the American parliament - the previous speech in Congress was delivered by Elizabeth II in 1991. Afterward, the King and Queen of the United Kingdom will head to New York to participate in an event commemorating the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The current visit of the British monarch to the United States is the first since 2007. It is taking place under heightened security measures due to a shooting that occurred on the evening of April 25 at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner featuring Trump was held.
Cooling Relations Between Washington and London
The Associated Press notes that Charles III arrived in the U.S. with a "delicate" mission - aimed at restoring the traditionally close U.S.-British relations that have recently been strained due to the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran. In March, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer did not allow the U.S. to use British bases for strikes against Iran and refused to send British warships to the Strait of Hormuz.
In an interview published on April 1 in the British newspaper The Telegraph, Trump stated that the United Kingdom's fleet would not be able to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, as its ships are "too old." He referred to NATO countries as "cowards" due to their stance on the war in Iran. The head of the White House compared the alliance to a "paper tiger" and stated that he is "seriously considering" withdrawing from it.
For his part, Starmer stated in early April in an interview with ITV News that he is "fed up" with British energy bills "going up and down" "due to the actions of (Russian President Vladimir - Ed.) Putin or Trump around the world." In a column for The Guardian, the British Prime Minister indicated that his government is investing in the UK's energy sector to "free itself from tyrants manipulating gas prices."
At the same time, Trump stated in March that the cooling of relations between Washington and London would not affect the visit of the British monarch, as Charles III "has nothing to do with" NATO and is, according to the U.S. President, a "great guy" and a "friend."
