(AFP) – US President Donald Trump said Thursday he expected to meet King Charles III in Britain in September, on an unprecedented second state visit that London hopes will boost transatlantic ties. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer handed Trump an invitation from the monarch during a meeting in the Oval Office in February as he tried to win over the US leader on tariffs and Ukraine.
“I think they’re setting a date for September,” Trump told reporters. “They’re going to do a second ‘fest.’ And that’s what it is, it’s a fest, and it’s beautiful, and it’s the first time it’s ever happened to one person,” added Trump.
“I’m a friend of Charles. I have great respect for King Charles and the family, (heir to the throne Prince) William. We have just really a great respect for the family, and it’s a very great honor.”
Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper reported Thursday that the royal family was set to host Trump at Windsor Castle, the king’s historic home near London. Trump will become the first political leader to receive a second state visit to Britain, after he visited in 2019 during his first term as president.
The 78-year-old Republican has long been a vocal fan of the British royal family. He also has a close affinity to the UK due to the fact his mother was born in Scotland, where he owns a golf course.
© 2024 AFP
