Donald Trump's second UK state visit to take place in September
King Charles is expected to welcome Donald Trump for his state visit in September, as the pair's busy schedules have prevented them meeting earlier this summer.
The King had suggested in the invitation handed to the President by Sir Keir Starmer in the Oval Office that Trump could meet him at either Balmoral or Dumfries House in Scotland prior to the full state visit.
While the King is due to be in Balmoral and Trump in Scotland to visit his new golf course in Aberdeenshire in the coming months, their conflicting diaries mean they are unable to meet over the summer.
No 10 has started planning for the state visit this autumn, despite some concerns from Buckingham Palace over Trump's expressed desire for Canada to become the 51st state.
Canada's PM, Mark Carney, said his nation was 'not impressed' that Trump was being afforded the lavish pomp and ceremony of a state visit.
During his visit to Canada for last week's G7 summit, Sir Keir reaffirmed the country to be 'an independent, sovereign nation, and quite right too'.
The King also his own coded reference to sovereignty during his state opening of the Canadian parliament, quoting the nation's national anthem: 'The True North is indeed strong and free.'
Preparations have now begun for the President's unprecedented second state visit, during which Trump will meet the King, who is also Canada's head of state, at Windsor.
Last week, Trump received the formal invitation to the occasion, the manu regia, hand delivered to the White House by representatives of the British embassy in Washington.
While the exact date is unknown, it is believed the grand occasion will go ahead some time in September.
Downing Street denied going against the wishes of the King in accelerating planning for the state visit.
A spokesperson for No 10 said: 'That's untrue. During his visit to the White House in February the Prime Minister was delighted to extend His Majesty the King's invite for a historic second state visit to the president and first lady and the president was pleased to accept.
'Of course the Prime Minister looks forward to welcoming President Trump.'
The President first state visit was a three-day affair in London hosted by Queen Elizabeth II.
Trump has said publicly he would be travelling to the UK in September for what he called a 'fest'.
A source close to the King told the Times there was no disagreement between the royal household and the Government over the occasion.
They added that all state visits took place on the advice of the Government.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Trump can't bomb his way to democracy – it never works
MORE: Britain to buy 12 nuclear-carrying F-35A warplanes worth £700,000,000
MORE: 'Sometimes daddy has to use strong words': Trump praised for ending Israel's war with Iran
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
17 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Trade strategy will protect UK firms from ‘harm' amid global shift
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said it was the UK's first Trade Strategy to be published since Brexit. It follows the publication of an industrial strategy earlier this week which set out plans to back UK industries which the Government thinks have the potential to grow. The trade plan aims to make the UK the best-connected country in the world to do business, helping to loosen regulation and expand opportunities for exporters. As part of the plan, the DBT pledged to introduce new tools and safeguards to help protect UK firms against the threat of a shifting global trade environment. This is understood to mean expanding its ability to respond to unfair trade practices, guarding sectors such as steel, and potential powers to respond to deliberate economic pressures against the UK. The decision to strengthen trade defences comes at a time of heightened uncertainty following Mr Trump's tariff announcements in April, which have hiked charges on most US imports and raised concerns over the future of global trade arrangements. The strategy nonetheless follows a trio of major deals struck between the UK and India, the US and the EU in recent months. The agreement with the US is set to implement quotas that will effectively eliminate the tariff on British steel and reduce the rate on UK vehicles to 10%. Meanwhile, the deal with India opened up trade between the two countries by lowering tariffs on exports like gin and whisky. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the trade strategy was a 'promise to British business: helping firms to sell more, grow faster, and compete globally'. Jonathan Reynolds, the Government's Business and Trade Secretary, said: 'The UK is an open trading nation but we must reconcile this with a new geopolitical reality and work in our own national interest. 'Our Trade Strategy will sharpen our trade defence so we can ensure British businesses are protected from harm, while also relentlessly pursuing every opportunity to sell to more markets under better terms than before.' Trade minister Douglas Alexander said the Government was taking 'every step necessary to safeguard British businesses from the increasingly protectionist mood in much of the world by sharpening our defensive toolkit'. Meanwhile, the newly created Ricardo Fund aims to set aside funding to tackle complex regulatory issues and remove obstacles for UK businesses selling abroad – which the DBT said could unlock £5 billion worth of opportunities. It is also expanding the capacity of UK Export Finance – the country's export credit agency – by £20 billion to total £80 billion. The body provides Government-backed loans, guarantees and insurance to help companies trade overseas. Separate to the trade strategy, the DBT said it was calling for views across the steel industry about how future trade measures and protections should be shaped. Steel producers and businesses across the supply chain will be invited to submit feedback over a six-week 'call for evidence' period. Current safeguarding measures – which include tariff-free quotas on steel imports to limit sudden surges – expire in June next year. Mr Reynolds said the Government would 'not sit by idly while cheap imports threaten to undercut UK industry'.
Scottish Sun
21 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
CIA says Trump strikes will set back Iran's nuke programme by YEARS as White House calls for leaker to be JAILED
Scroll down for the latest updates... BUNKER BUSTED CIA says Trump strikes will set back Iran's nuke programme by YEARS as White House calls for leaker to be JAILED THE CIA says Donald Trump's weekend blitz on Iran has left key nuclear sites 'destroyed' – in a devastating blow that will take 'years' to recover from. In a bombshell statement, the Agency's director John Ratcliffe confirmed 'several key Iranian nuclear facilities' were wiped out and must be completely rebuilt. 4 CIA Director John Ratcliffe pictured on March 25 Credit: Reuters 4 Craters on a ridge at the Fordow plant after US strikes Credit: EPA 4 US President Donald Trump during a press conference after the NATO summit at the World Forum The Hague Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 4 CIA chief Ratcliffe released this statement on his profile on X Credit: X 'The CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran's Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes,' Ratcliffe said. 'This includes new intelligence from a historically reliable and accurate source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years.' The chief added the CIA would 'provide updates to the American public' given the 'national importance' of the operation. It comes after White House called for the arrest of whoever leaked a classified intelligence report on Iran's nuclear sites — as Donald Trump demanded CNN's Natasha Bertrand be fired 'like a dog.' Speaking at a NATO summit press conference in The Hague, the president raged at 'fake news' outlets over reports suggesting US airstrikes failed to cripple Iran's nuke programme. Trump insisted Tehran's labs were now 'totally inoperable,' citing intelligence from both Israel and Iran confirming the scale of the devastation. The uproar followed reports from CNN, MSNBC, and The New York Times citing a leaked Defense Intelligence Agency memo that raised doubts over the extent of the damage — particularly at the Fordow nuclear site. The report was based on just 24 hours of data. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the person responsible for leaking the classified Iran intelligence report should face jail time. 'They should go to jail,' she told Fox News' Ryan Schmelz when asked about potential punishment for the leaker. Leavitt said the DIA memo had been 'discredited' by U.S. and Israeli officials — and even by Iran itself. 'CNN ran with a story they knew wasn't fully vetted,' Leavitt told Fox News, calling it a leak from 'someone with an agenda' and noting it came from 'the same reporter who once pushed the false Hunter Biden laptop narrative.' She confirmed the FBI is investigating the leak and stressed that those responsible 'should be held accountable.' Defending the strikes, Leavitt said: 'This operation achieved what decades of diplomacy and sanctions could not.' Trump went on to slam the media outlets, saying: 'We had a tremendous success. 'And this is the New York Times. I call it the failing New York Times. It's going to hell. And CNN, which is, you know, very few people are watching, and you would think they'd do the opposite. 'So it's just fake news by CNN, which has got no ratings. It's a failed network,' he added. The president didn't hold back, declaring: 'CNN is scum, the New York Times is scum, MSNBC is scum. They're bad people, they're sick. And what they've done is they want to turn this incredible victory into something less.' Trump then unleashed on Bertrand in a furious Truth Social post: 'Natasha Bertrand should be FIRED from CNN! I watched her for three days doing Fake News… 'She should be IMMEDIATELY reprimanded, and then thrown out 'like a dog'... 'She lied on the Laptop from Hell Story, and now she lied on the Nuclear Sites Story… She should not be allowed to work at Fake News CNN... FIRE NATASHA!' Stay up to date with the latest on Israel vs Iran with The Sun's live blog below...
South Wales Guardian
31 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
UK energy and steel to be classed as ‘nationally important' in procurement shift
Public sector buyers would be able to avoid normal requirements to consider overseas bidders and instead give priority to domestic firms under the plans set out in a consultation launching on Wednesday. Ministers would be allowed to designate sectors such as steel, energy and cyber nationally important in order to help grant them more of the £400 billion spent on procurement each year, the Government said. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden said the proposals would ensure British industry was supported and 'boost growth'. 'The new rules being considered will give us the power to protect our national industries, ensuring more money goes to them as we buy goods and services in Government,' he said. The Government said the new rules will also ensure buyers exclude companies that cannot provide evidence of a good record of paying companies in their supply chains promptly and on time in a move to protect small businesses. New guidance will also require Government departments to consider British steel products for the £725 billion of UK infrastructure spending over the next 10 years announced in the industrial strategy on Monday. UK Steel welcomed the proposals, describing them as 'unequivocally positive news' that would help safeguard jobs in the industry. Director general of UK Steel, Gareth Stace, said: 'These changes rightly recognise the strategic importance of steelmaking to national security and the vital role of resilient domestic supply chains.' It comes as the industry faces uncertainty over the US-UK trade deal finalised this month, which slashed tariffs on aerospace and auto sectors but left levies on steel standing at 25% rather than falling to zero as originally agreed. The Government has said both sides have agreed to 'make progress towards 0% tariffs on core steel products' in ongoing talks.
