The King and the Prince of Wales are ‘highly likely’ to travel to the US next year on separate trips as part of a ‘charm offensive’ aimed at Donald Trump.
The visits are being timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of American independence and come as negotiations take place between the two countries over a trade deal.
King Charles is expected to travel in April in what would be the first trip to the US by a reigning monarch since Queen Elizabeth was hosted by George Bush in 2007.
Prince William will then head to North America during next summer’s World Cup which is also being hosted in Mexico and Canada.
The King’s trip will be the first time he has visited the US since his son Prince Harry quit his royal duties and moved to Montecito, California, with Meghan Markle.
Prince William travelled to New York City in 2023 to attend his Earthshot Prize summit but steered clear of his brother, who will reportedly be ‘iced out’ of the upcoming visits.
British diplomats hope next year’s visits will accelerate the completion of a trade deal after negotiations over Keir Starmer‘s vaunted ‘tech prosperity’ deal stalled this month.
The £31billion deal, which was seen as a major victory when it was announced during Trump’s state visit in September, has been delayed with the US president frustrated at the UK hitting American tech companies with a ‘digital services tax’, as well as refusals to ease food safety rules on imports.
King Charles is ‘highly likely’ to visit the US in April as part of a ‘charm offensive’ aimed at Donald Trump
The visit will come just months after Donald Trump’s ‘unprecedented’ second state visit to the UK in September
Prince William is also likely to embark on a separate trip to the US during the World Cup next summer
Negotiations over the completion of a full trade deal have also slowed because of American demands for greater access to British markets for US farmers.
Completing a deal early in the year is viewed as important before Trump begins his campaign for the US mid-term elections in November.
Downing Street hopes that the royal trips, which will take place just months after Trump’s ‘unprecedented’ second UK state visit, could provide an incentive for Trump to keep the special relationship alive.
Starmer is unlikely to attend alongside the King, with Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, likely to represent the Government.
Talks on the trips are in an ‘advanced’ stage and the King is ‘highly likely’ to travel in April, a source told The Times.
Rumours have swirled for months that the King is likely to head to the US next year after Trump’s successful visit to the UK.
Immediately following the trip, a US official said: ‘They set the bar high for their trip to see us.’
Trump has often spoken fondly about the Royal Family and his love for them can be traced back to his late mother Mary, who grew up in Scotland and was a keen royalist.
During his latest state visit the US president described King Charles as ‘my friend’.
Trump was treated to two days of pomp and pageantry, including a glittering state dinner at Windsor Castle.
Prince William is expected to visit the US during the World Cup in his capacity as president of the Football Association.
The World Cup is taking place between June 11 and July 19 and England’s group games against Croatia, Ghana and Panama will take place in Dallas, Boston and New Jersey.
King Charles is likely to visit in April in a move which British diplomats hope will help seal negotations on the UK-US trade deal
Trump has often spoken fondly about the royal family and described King Charles as ‘my friend’
The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence will be celebrated on July 4 and it is possible the Prince of Wales could be in the US on Independence Day.
Speaking alongside the US President in September, King Charles also spoke glowingly of the ‘special relationship’ between the US and the UK.
‘I have always admired the ingenuity of the American people and the principles of freedom, which your great democracy has represented since its inception,’ he said.
‘Throughout my life, from the very first visit to the United States in 1970 – and there were 20 visits since that time – I have cherished a close tie between the British and American people,’ King Charles added.
Speaking after the visit, Trump said of the Monarch: ‘We were together for a long time.
‘Really two days. I just left him. He is a great person. I knew him as Prince Charles originally and now as King Charles. And the people love him in this country.’
The King’s mother, Queen Elizabeth, made five state visits to the US, beginning in 1957 with President Dwight D Eisenhower.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited Philadelphia, New York and Washington DC, where they were hosted by Gerald Ford at the White House, as part of celebrations for the 200th anniversary of independence in 1976.
The £31billion ‘tech prosperity’ deal, which was seen as a major victory when it was announced during Trump’s state visit in September (pictured at the royal banquet), has stalled
The late Queen Elizabeth visited the US for five state visits, most recently in 2007. (Pictured with former US President George Bush at the White House in 1991)
Speaking about her visit during her Christmas speech later that year, she said: ‘This year we went to America to join in their bicentennial celebrations.
‘Who would have thought 200 years ago that a descendant of King George III could have taken part in these celebrations?
‘Yet that same King was among the first to recognise that old scores must be settled and differences reconciled.’
She added: ‘The United States was born in bitter conflict with Britain but we didn’t remain enemies for long.’
During her last visit, former President Bush famously made a gaffe where he confused dates, telling her she ‘helped our nation celebrate its bicentennial in 17 – in 1976’.
Bush then joked that she ‘gave me a look that only a mother could give a child,’ after the Queen looked at him.
Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.
