David Dimbleby Labels King Charles’ Us Visit ‘an Embarrassment’ – Urging Ministers To Call It Off

Veteran broadcaster David Dimbleby has branded a sojourn by nan King and Queen to US president Donald Trump “an acute embarrassment”, saying nan authorities should person postponed it.

The royal mates will be a authorities meal astatine nan White House, and the King will reside Congress during adjacent month’s visit, Buckingham Palace announced connected Tuesday.

Mr Trump’s critics successful nan UK have opposed nan planned visit for weeks, and much than 140,000 group person signed a petition calling for nan travel to beryllium cancelled, aft Mr Trump’s repeated verbal attacks connected Britain, connected Nato and connected European countries that did not subordinate nan US successful his warfare connected Iran.

Mr Dimbleby, who has antecedently said he is irritated by deference to nan monarchy and who made a tv bid called What’s nan Monarchy For?, said nan sojourn was not a bully thought and accepting nan invitation was an acute embarrassment.

The King was astatine nan mercy of nan government, he told BBC Radio 4’s PM. “The authorities says, go, truthful he goes.”

He said: “I consciousness sorry for him going and, you know, having to beryllium down to a authorities meal pinch a man who has insulted nan British troops successful Afghanistan and said they weren’t peculiarly important and weren’t needed, who’s insulted – I’m not talking astir insulting nan authorities – but insulted our Royal Navy.”

Referring to Mr Trump, nan erstwhile BBC Question Time host added: “You know, [he] goes retired of his measurement to beryllium rude astir Britain and astir Nato and who’s a narcissist and a bully, and nan measurement to guidelines up for bullies is not to return it – but it seems that that's not nan government’s view.”

He said: “I was alternatively hoping that they mightiness find a measurement of dodging nan file by postponing nan sojourn while what was going connected successful Iran, was going connected and say, ‘this not possibly an due infinitesimal to go’.”

Jonathan Dimbleby, David Dimbleby’s brother, is simply a long-time friend and confidant of nan King.

Just minutes earlier Buckingham Palace announced nan royal visit, Mr Trump launched into a bitter tirade against nan UK complete nan warfare connected Iran, informing “the US won’t beryllium location to thief you immoderate more, conscionable for illustration you weren’t location for us”.

He wrote connected Truth Social that Britain should “build up immoderate delayed courage” and spell and return lipid itself now that nan US had “done nan difficult part”.

The visit, which will people nan 250th day of American independence, will “celebrate nan historical connections” betwixt nan UK and nan US, officials said.

It will beryllium nan first authorities sojourn by a British monarch to America for astir 20 years, since that of Queen Elizabeth II successful 2007, erstwhile President George W Bush winked astatine her connected nan White House section aft making 1 of his celebrated gaffes.

The UK rolled retired nan reddish carpet for Mr Trump’s 2nd authorities sojourn to nan UK past September, which was a sparkling juncture featuring a sumptuous banquet served connected 200-year-old silver.

The president’s rants person strained nan US-UK relationship. Mr Trump has branded nan UK’s attack to nan conflict “terrible” and many times lashed retired astatine Sir Keir Starmer, including describing him arsenic “not Winston Churchill”.

In January, nan US leader provoked anger among British politicians and seasoned fighters by claiming Nato soldiers avoided nan beforehand lines successful nan warfare successful Afghanistan.

Mr Trump suggested that Nato allied troops had “stayed a small disconnected nan beforehand lines”.

Last week, Mr Trump likened UK craft carriers to toys, telling Sir Keir Starmer “not to bother” sending vessels to nan Gulf.

“We don't request it, and we don't request it, and we don't request them. They're toys compared to what we have,” he said.

And US defence caput Pete Hegseth mocked nan Royal Navy.

“There are countries astir nan world who ought beryllium prepared to measurement up connected this captious waterway arsenic well,” he said referring to nan Strait of Hormuz.

“Last clip I checked, location was expected to beryllium a big, bad Royal Navy that could beryllium prepared to do things for illustration that arsenic well.”