British Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently handed Trump a letter from King Charles at the White House.
Trump accepted the monarch to visit Britain, making the US president the first elected political leader in modern times to be hosted for two state visits by Charles.
The US president immediately opened and read the letter, jokingly checking that it bore the King’s signature, which he then described as “beautiful” and held up for the cameras to see.
An article published in the Telegraph said, “The King writing to President Trump inviting him to Britain was not because His Majesty wanted it, but because his Prime Minister thought an invitation was in the national interest.”
The article read “Once Starmer had told the King his ministers’ wishes, His Majesty had to comply.”
“The King will not be dragged into politics. He will follow the advice of his Prime Minister. State visits are a vital part of soft power. And soft power is all we have left,” The Telegraph article quoted a senior politician as saying.
It said, “If the King did object, however, refusing would have precipitated a constitutional crisis – the resignation of the Prime Minister and the Government, and a general election on the issue. If, after such an election, Starmer remained in office and the King still refused, it could force an abdication.”
The article read, “Happily, no monarch has tried to ignore the wishes of his or her government since the 17th century, which is why the monarchy attracts such respect.”
