US President Donald Trump has said next week’s state visit from King Charles and Queen Camilla could help repair relations with the UK.
When asked in a phone interview with the BBC whether the visit could help repair the relationship, Trump said: “Absolutely. He’s fantastic. He’s a fantastic man. Absolutely the answer is yes.”
“I know him well, I’ve known him for years,” he said. “He’s a brave man, and he’s a great man. They would absolutely be a positive.”
The president also spoke about his relationship with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who he said could only “recover” if he changed course on immigration.
The King and Queen will travel to the US for a four-day visit beginning on Monday, and will meet with Trump at the White House.
The two leaders have appeared at odds over the war in Iran, and Sir Keir has faced mounting pressure over his decision to appoint Lord Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said Lord Mandelson was “a really bad pick” but the prime minister had “plenty of time to recover”.
When asked what he meant by that post, Trump said: “If he opened the North Sea and if his immigration policies became strong, which right now they’re not, he can recover, but if he doesn’t, I don’t think he has a chance.”
Trump has repeatedly called on the UK to increase oil and gas extraction in the North Sea.
