King Charles' trip to U.S. should be cancelled over Trump comments, Lib Dem leader says

LONDON, March 9 - A planned visit by King Charles to the United States should be cancelled after President Donald Trump repeatedly insulted Britain, the leader of the country's third-biggest party in parliament said on Monday. Read more at straitstimes.com.

LONDON, March 9 - A planned visit by King Charles to the United States should be cancelled after President Donald Trump repeatedly insulted Britain, the leader of the country's third-biggest party in parliament said on Monday.

Trump has repeatedly criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer after London initially blocked the U.S. from using British bases to attack Iran, saying he was "not Winston Churchill" and that Starmer had helped to "ruin" the so-called Special Relationship between the two countries.

That followed Trump's comments in January that European troops had stayed off the front lines in Afghanistan, drawing a rare rebuke from Starmer who described them as "frankly appalling" and insulting to the families of the 457 British service personnel who died in that war.

Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said Starmer should avoid putting the king, Britain's ceremonial head of state, in the centre of a "highly political situation" with an April visit.

"A state visit from our king would be seen as yet another huge diplomatic coup for President Trump, so it should not be given to someone who repeatedly insults and damages our country," Davey told LBC Radio, citing Trump's recent comments and his "reckless" war in Iran.

In Britain, the government advises the monarch on his relations with foreign leaders. The Starmer government has not been slow to harness the soft power of the royal family to help smooth relations with Trump over the last year.