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United States President Donald Trump has said that the upcoming state visit of Britain’s King Charles III to the United States could “absolutely” help improve strained relations between Washington and London.
Charles is scheduled to begin a four-day visit to the US on Monday, with the trip expected to take place against a series of tensions linked to the Iran conflict and renewed scrutiny over controversies involving the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In an interview with the BBC, Trump was asked whether the monarch’s visit could help reset relations between the two countries. He responded that it could, describing Charles as “a fantastic man” and adding that the visit would be beneficial for diplomatic ties.
The King will undertake his first state visit to the US as monarch at the invitation of the British government and Trump, travelling with Queen Camilla, before continuing part of the trip in Bermuda.
Trump also criticised aspects of British foreign and domestic policy during the interview, saying he was dissatisfied with the UK’s position on recent military developments involving Iran and arguing that allies should have played a stronger role.
On UK domestic politics, he referred to ongoing political difficulties surrounding Prime Minister Keir Starmer, particularly controversies linked to the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington.
According to Trump, Starmer’s political standing would depend on policy choices on energy and immigration, adding that without significant changes, he did not believe the Prime Minister would recover politically.
