The apparent attempt on Donald Trump’s life could provide a springboard for him and the King to strengthen their friendship, but royal insiders warn the monarch’s US trip is unlikely to help Keir Starmer patch up things with the President.
The shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which saw Trump rushed to safety by the Secret Service, took place shortly before the King was set to arrive for his highly anticipated state visit.
It has resulted in a review of security arrangements for the trip, which Buckingham Palace confirmed will go ahead as planned, including the King’s address to Congress, a private meeting in the Oval Office and a state dinner at the White House.
Though Charles will avoid wading into political differences between the two nations and their leaders, he is likely to send Trump a clear reminder that Britain remains a friend to the US.
“The tone will be strongly that there is very much more that binds the United States and the United Kingdom together than sets us apart,” a former royal insider said.
“There will be genuine affection for America and its founding ideals, and an emphasis on the issues and areas in which the two countries work so closely together. I think the underlying message of the visit will be that this is a relationship which must endure beyond the current turbulence.”
The source added that wherever possible during the visit the King would choose to stick to a broad-brush view of commonalities and the long history between the two countries, and studiously avoid becoming enmeshed in the transatlantic stresses and strains of recent weeks over Iran and Nato.
Recalibrated security measures
Matthew Beer, founder and group director, King Safety and Security Ltd, a UK-based close protection and risk consultancy, whose employees includes former royal protection staff, said security measures will be recalibrated, as opposed to reset. Any adjustments will likely be focused on public-facing elements of the trip, with routes, access points, arrival and departure procedures also reviewed, he added.
“The core arrangements are built well in advance, but protective intelligence teams will reassess the incident, consider any potential for copycat behaviour, and validate the wider threat picture,” Beer said.
He added that changes could include “shorter durations at certain points or tighter control of access, although these changes are usually subtle and not obvious to the public”.
Queen Elizabeth II’s former press secretary Dickie Arbiter is doubtful that the shooting will have reshaped diplomatic elements of the visit, such as the content of the King’s Congress address, or the topics he will discuss behind closed doors with Trump during the pair’s private tea and Oval Office meeting.
He believes Charles will steer clear of politically contentious topics, despite Trump telling the press of his plans to discuss Nato and the war in Iran with the King.
“If Trump does discuss anything political with the King, he’s putting the King in a very invidious position,” Arbiter said. However, he believes the monarch’s experience will adequately equip him to avoid any diplomatic nightmares.
“The King’s been there before. He knows what he can say and what he can’t say, and he’s not going to be drawn into anything that could even smack of something political or controversial.”
‘Extra warmth’ from King to Trump
Despite the fondness Trump shows towards the King, his relationship with Starmer is expected to remain frosty due to the stark political differences between the pair, Arbiter believes.
“Only they can patch things up on the political front,” he said. “The King can’t patch up things on the political front because he won’t talk about politics.”
Sources told The i Paper previously that while the King will receive a briefing from the Foreign Office, he “won’t be afraid to voice his own opinions in private”.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams believes there will be an “extra amount of warmth” towards Trump from the King, who was shot at with a starting pistol during a trip to Australia in 1994.
Fitzwilliams believes the bilateral meeting in the Oval Office is set to be the “most significant” part of the trip and where the royal’s “certain magic” will be most apparent, with hope resting on such moments to “alter” Trump’s attitude towards the UK.
“This is the trump card because he is especially fond of [the monarchy],” Fitzwilliams said.
Hence then, the article about how the king will use crucial 48 hours to send a friendly warning to trump was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( How the King will use crucial 48 hours to send a friendly warning to Trump )
Also on site :