The diplomatic drama between Britain and the United States is escalating fast, and suddenly King Charles’s planned trip to Washington looks like a political landmine for the history books. The monarch is currently expected to travel to the US next month as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence. But a growing number of MPs and political figures now say the visit should be scrapped entirely.
The reason is simple. Donald Trump has launched an illegal war against Iran while publicly berating Britain over the conflict. Many politicians believe rolling out the red carpet for him now would look like Britain rewarding that behaviour.
According to reporting from media outlets, pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step in and advise the King not to go.
MPs warn the visit would reward Trump
Several politicians are openly questioning whether the visit should happen at all. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey delivered perhaps the clearest warning. He also warned that a royal visit would hand Trump exactly what he wants: international validation.
“Keir Starmer should advise the King that the state visit to the US scheduled for April should be called off. At a time when Trump has launched an illegal war that is devastating the Middle East and pushing up energy bills for British families, it’s clear this visit should not go ahead. A state visit from our King would be seen as yet another huge diplomatic coup for President Trump, so it should not be given to someone who repeatedly insults and damages our country.”
Other MPs echoed that view. Labour MP Rachael Maskell questioned what Britain would gain from sending the monarch to Washington in the middle of a growing international crisis.
“I think that visit should be put on hold at the moment to be quite honest. I’m not sure what would be gained from his going to the US at this point.”
Green Party deputy leader Rachel Millward was even more blunt about the optics.
“Trump’s USA has become a rogue state, waging illegal wars abroad… It is unthinkable that the King should grace Trump with a visit at this point.”
When politicians from multiple parties all start using the word “unthinkable,” it’s a sign the diplomatic temperature is rising.
Embed from Getty ImagesTrump’s attacks on Britain fuel the backlash
The calls to cancel the visit come after Trump launched a series of public attacks on Britain and Keir Starmer following disagreements over the Iran conflict. Trump complained that the UK had hesitated to support American strikes and mocked the British government publicly. In one message, he declared:
He also dismissed the British prime minister with a jab that was clearly meant to sting.
“This is not Winston Churchill we’re dealing with.”
In diplomatic terms, those comments are extraordinary. The UK and the US usually handle disagreements quietly behind closed doors. Trump chose to air the dispute publicly, turning it into a spectacle. Which is precisely why critics say sending the King to Washington now would look absurd.
The Andrew problem the palace cannot escape
But there is another issue hanging over this story, and it’s one the palace would prefer nobody mention.
For years, the Royal Family protected Prince Andrew as the scandal around Jeffrey Epstein grew. Palace aides initially dismissed concerns, and Andrew remained a working royal long after Epstein’s crimes were widely known. Only when the public backlash became overwhelming, and the allegations against him were extensively documented, did the monarchy finally act. Andrew was stripped of his military roles and royal patronages and later lost the use of Royal Lodge as the institution scrambled to contain the reputational damage.
Now, the message from Buckingham Palace was obvious. Anyone associated with Epstein would be treated as a reputational risk to the monarchy.
Yet Donald Trump’s own name appears repeatedly in Epstein-related material and court documents connected to the scandal.
Which raises a glaring question. How can King Charles justify stripping his own brother of titles and property over the Epstein scandal while happily travelling across the Atlantic to pose for photographs with a man whose name appears repeatedly in the same files?
The optics are extraordinary. If the palace believed Andrew’s association with Epstein was toxic enough to exile him from public life, then embracing Trump risks looking like a breathtaking double standard.
A diplomatic gamble for the monarchy
There is also a practical risk. Trump has a well-documented habit of claiming foreign leaders support his policies even when they do not. Critics warn that the moment Charles lands in Washington, Trump will inevitably present the visit as proof that the British monarchy backs him and his war against Iran.
In other words, the King may travel to America intending to preserve diplomatic ties, only to find himself pulled into a political narrative he cannot control.
And the stakes are already high. Trump’s war on Iran has sent shockwaves through global markets. Crude oil prices have surged dramatically, climbing above $111 a barrel as tensions escalate. That economic pressure is already hitting ordinary households through rising energy costs.
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The monarchy’s credibility is on the line
At this point, the question facing the palace is not just diplomatic, it is reputational. If King Charles proceeds with the visit, he risks handing Donald Trump an enormous diplomatic victory at the exact moment the US president is publicly insulting Britain and escalating an apocalyptic conflict in the Middle East.
More importantly, it risks exposing a contradiction the monarchy cannot easily explain.
Prince Andrew was cast out of public life because of the Epstein scandal. Yet Trump, whose name appears repeatedly in the same orbit of allegations, is apparently still acceptable company for the King.
That contradiction will not disappear once the photographs are taken. And if the visit goes ahead, the palace may discover the damage to its credibility lasts far longer than the diplomatic photo-op.
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