Donald Trump has been invited to make an unprecedented second state visit to Britain this year – and he could head to Scotland to stay with the King at Balmoral.
Keir Starmer extended an official invitation from the monarch to the president to come to the UK on his visit to the White House today.
The Prime Minster presented Trump with a letter from the King in the Oval Office this evening.
Mr Trump showed the letter, marked ‘private and confidential’ and featuring Charles’ signature, to the cameras.
‘He’s a beautiful man, a wonderful man, and we appreciate it. I’ve known him, gotten to know him very well actually, first term and now second term,’ he told reporters.
The King suggested he and Mr Trump could meet before that visit, either at Dumfries House or Balmoral, which are near the businessman’s golf courses in Scotland, to discuss the plans for the much grander state visit.
The letter, partially obscured by Mr Trump’s hand, reads: ‘I can only say that it would be … pleasure to extend that invitation once again, in the hope that you … some stage be visiting Turnberry and a detour to a relatively near neighbour might not cause you too much inconvenience. An alternative might perhaps be for you to visit Balmoral…
‘There is much on both estates which I think you might find interesting, and enjoy – particularly as my foundation at Dumfries House provides hospitality skills-training for young people who often end up as staff on your own establishments!’
Keir Starmer extended an official invitation from the monarch to the president to come to the UK on his visit to the White House today.
During his first spell in the White House, Mr Trump visited both Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace to meet Queen Elizabeth II (2019 visit pictured)
But this would be his first since Charles became King, and it may provide fireworks given their differing world views.
Asked by Sir Keir if he would accept the King’s invitation for a second state visit, the US president said: ‘The answer is yes.
‘On behalf of our wonderful First Lady Melania and myself, the answer is yes and we look forward to being there and honouring the King and honouring really your country.
‘Your country is a fantastic country and it’ll be our honour to be there.
‘Thank you very much.’
Sir Keir responded: ‘Well thank you very much Mr President. I shall happily take that back to His Majesty.’
Trump made several visits to Britain in his first term, when Elizabeth II was on the throne, including a state visit.
But this would be his first since Charles became King, and it may provide fireworks given their differing world views.
The monarch is known to be a staunch environmentalist, who used his Christmas speech this year to say that ‘diversity of culture, ethnicity and faith provides strength, not weakness’.
It means that Balmoral Castle, near to Mr Trump’s golf course in Aberdeenshire, is now being talked about as the venue for another trip to Britain
Last year a biography of the late monarch said she found Trump ‘very rude’.
In contrast, Trump has urged oil firms to ‘drill baby, drill’ and dismantled protection for minorities in the US since his return.
Precedent for second-term US presidents who have already made a state visit is usually tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Castle, as was the case for George W Bush and Barack Obama.
But Mr Trump – the first ever convicted felon to become US president – has received an invitation to make a second state visit.
The US president has strong links to Scotland. His mother was born on the Isle of Lewis and he owns a golf resort at Turnberry in Ayrshire.
During his first spell in the White House, Mr Trump visited both Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace to meet Queen Elizabeth II.
Sir Keir told reporters in Glasgow on Sunday: ‘In terms of state visits, that’s a matter for His Majesty the King, but I can guarantee that when I’m over there next week, as President Trump has done in every conversation I’ve had with him, he’ll be talking about Scotland, as he always does.’
Last year a biography of the late monarch said she found Trump ‘very rude’.
The former sovereign is said to have ‘particularly disliked’ the way he looked over her shoulder as if ‘in search of others more interesting’.
She also mused over his relationship with his wife Melania and said she believed they must have ‘some sort of arrangement’.
The astonishing claims were made by Craig Brown in his book, A Voyage Around The Queen, which was serialised in the Daily Mail.
