King Charles will get a show of American military might during his state visit to the US, because White House officials fear they cannot match the British pageantry, according to reports.
The trip will go ahead next month despite serious tension between the President and the Prime Minister over the Iran war, which has destabilised the special relationship.
Some have called for it to be postponed or cancelled altogether, believing such a show of joviality would be inappropriate, but plans are already in the final stages.
An entourage of the King’s closest aides and other officials is already believed to have travelled to the States for a ‘recce’.
The King will spend just one day in Washington, where he will undertake a busy schedule including an address to Congress and an evening banquet, The Times reports.
It is said he will spend another day in New York, make a third stop at an unconfirmed rural location, and then stop over at a country with ties to the UK, such as Bermuda.
Discussions in the White House have reportedly concluded Washington cannot match the pomp and pageantry rolled out by Britain for Donald Trump’s state visit, and that the King and Queen should instead be impressed by demonstrations of military might.
The royal couple will be accompanied not by Starmer, but by the Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper – although this was said not to be a response to the breakdown of relations.
Donald Trump and the King at Windsor Castle, during the President’s state visit in September
Donald Trump, known to admire the British royal family, was pictured cracking a smile at The Princess of Wales during his banquet
Trump and Melania will attempt to impress their British guests with military might, in lieu of the pomp and ceremony
The relationship between Trump and Starmer was fraying before the outbreak of war in the Middle East, but has since nosedived.
The US President has repeatedly emphasised that Starmer is ‘no Winston Churchill’, mocking and chastising the Prime Minister for his response to the conflict.
He was enraged when the UK refused to allow use of American bases on British soil to launch attacks against Iran, and repeatedly slammed Starmer for not sending warships to the Middle East.
While Trump has lashed out at other European countries and Nato, Starmer has received the greatest larruping, with the President apparently lamenting the inaction of a once-dependable ally.
Against that backdrop, some politicians in the UK have urged a pause on the King’s plans, but all parties involved – the White House, Buckingham Palace, and the UK government – are understood to be determined it will go ahead on April 27-29.
It is also understood the trip will be apolitical and, rather than attempting to produce any policy announcements, will be an opportunity for the King to pay tribute to the citizens of America in their 250th year of independence.
A source with knowledge of the plans told the newspaper: ‘This will be a substantive visit from the King for the American people.’
Among the team to have scoped out Washington earlier this year was the King’s deputy private secretary and one of his closest aides, Theo Rycroft.
The source said Rycroft had been ‘drilling down’ into the details of the King’s schedule, while Monica Crowley, ambassador and chief of protocol of the United States, has been spearheading preparations from the American side.
The White House was approached for comment.
