‘We have to have it’: Trump sets out Greenland stance to European leaders and shares Macron text
Some call for King Charles to cancel his visit to the USpublished at 18:43 GMT 19 January
Sean Coughlan
Royal correspondent
There have been calls for an anticipated state visit by King Charles to the United States to be put on hold, because of President Trump’s threats to Greenland.
It’s all still hypothetical – no visit has yet been announced – but Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said the PM had to show the UK was not a “doormat” and that if Trump “keeps bullying Greenland, there’ll be no state visit to the US in April”.
Republic, a group which campaigns to end the monarchy, also wants the state visit to be stopped.
“Charles visiting Trump in the US will only play into Trump’s hands, and will make the UK look weak and servile,” said Graham Smith, Republic’s chief executive.
Whether or not the King visits the US will ultimately be a decision for the government rather than Buckingham Palace.
State visits are carried out on behalf of the government – and a royal trip to the US, which would be marking its 250th anniversary, would until recently have been seen as an important way of bolstering the US and UK relationship.
President Trump’s visit to Windsor Castle in September showed how much the US leader was fascinated by royalty and it seemed to provide valuable leverage for the UK. The King was a valuable bargaining chip in dealing with Trump.
It’s a tough decision now for PM Starmer – and when he was asked about it in a press conference he only replied obliquely, emphasising the importance of maintaining good relations with the US, even though there would be differences of opinion.
In Downing Street they must be weighing the options. Pulling the plug on the trip might seem like a hostile act to the US, while going ahead might also seem untenable if it coincided with tariffs being piled up on the UK economy.
But the reported trip is still three months away – and the government might be hoping the row simmers down before it reaches a crunch point for a decision.
Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for Yvette Cooper to make a statement in the House of Commons – stay with us.
