(Alliance News) – Britain’s King Charles and Donald Trump praised their countries’ long-standing relationship at a White House dinner on Tuesday – despite the US president saying the king agreed with him on Iran’s nuclear weapons.
At the lavish dinner, Charles echoed the tone of his previous speech to Congress when he urged London and Washington to stay together, without directly mentioning the disagreement over the US-Israeli war with Tehran.
But at a dinner attended by technology experts and golfer Rory McIlroy, Trump made his first public comments on the sensitive topic during a four-day visit by the British royal family.
“We defeated that opponent militarily,” Trump said at a White House dinner. “Charles agrees with me even more than I do – we will not allow our adversary to have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump has repeatedly criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for his opposition to the Iran war, and there is no indication that King Charles has shown support for this decision by the American leader.
Nevertheless, both leaders highly praised the “special relationship” between Britain and Washington, setting aside but briefly transatlantic tensions.
In his statement, Charles said he is “here to renew an alliance that has long been the foundation of success and security.”
But Charles made clear the importance of international alliances such as Nato which Trump has repeatedly disparaged – and called for continued support for Ukraine as it fights Russian aggression.
“Together, we can face the challenges of an increasingly complex and competitive world,” he added.
The lavish dinner menu included garden vegetable veloute, spring herbed ravioli and Dover sole meuniere, followed by White House honey and vanilla bean cremeux.
Invited guests include Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook, Amazon.com Inc’s Jeff Bezos, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, and two-time Masters golfer Rory McIlroy, who was born in Northern Ireland.
The king and president also sparred, with Charles joking about Trump’s recent comment that his colleagues would speak German if they did not support the US in World War II.
“I dare say, if it wasn’t for us, you would be speaking French,” said Charles, referring to the rivalry between the British and French colonial powers before US independence 250 years ago.
Meanwhile Trump praised Charles’ “great” speech to Congress, adding: “He got the Democrats to stand up – I’ve never been able to do that.”
The king received a warm welcome from lawmakers in Congress as he urged the US on Tuesday to stand firm with its Western allies, and talk about topics such as the environment that Trump often scorns.
Charles stressed that “unwavering resolve” is needed to secure a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine, which has been fighting an all-out invasion by Russia since 2022.
In just the second speech to Congress by a British monarch after his mother Elizabeth II in 1991, Charles also pointed to the democratic traditions that opponents have accused Trump of undermining.
He noted that the British Magna Carta has been cited in more than 160 US Supreme Court cases, highlighting — to the applause of opposition Democrats — the principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances.
Trump earlier praised Britain as America’s closest ally as he welcomed Charles and Queen Camilla to the White House with pomp, ceremony, a 21-gun salute and a flypast.
“In the centuries we gained independence, the American people did not have close friends with the British,” said Trump.
The visit comes at a critical time, with Trump criticizing Britain for its stance on Iran and other policies.
Despite the tension, the US president cracked jokes, joking about his Scottish-born mother having “Charles’ love” and making noises about Britain’s weather.
Security was tight during the visit following a suspected assassination attempt on Trump during a weekend news conference in Washington.
“Such acts of violence will never succeed,” said Charles.
The royal family will visit New York on Wednesday, visiting the 9/11 memorial, before departing on Thursday for Bermuda.
By Danny Kemp and Frankie Taggart
source: AFP
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