WASHINGTON, June 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Just a few days after returning from his visit to Japan, where he met new Emperor Naruhito, US Pres Donald Trump heads to Britain, where Queen Elizabeth II will receive him during a state visit that could be rocky.
The US president — who has never hidden his affinity for military honour guards and red-carpet diplomacy — will arrive in London at a moment when the country’s politics are in disarray.
His last visit to Britain nearly a year ago, which brought tens of thousands of protesters into the streets, was particularly tumultuous after Trump’s criticism of May to The Sun tabloid caused an uproar.
Trump’s three-day stay this time around begins on Monday with a ceremony at Buckingham Palace followed by lunch with the queen.
That evening, he will be the guest of honour at a state dinner, a privilege also afforded to George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
In the summer of 2018, Trump had tea with Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle, but was not afforded the pomp and circumstance of a state visit.
Before he sets foot on British soil, there are multiple calls for protests — and controversy is already brewing.
The leader of Britain’s main opposition Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn, declined an invitation to the state dinner in Trump’s honour.
He said it wasn’t the time to roll out the red carpet for a president who “rips up vital international treaties, backs climate change denial and uses racist and misogynist rhetoric.”
On Tuesday, Trump’s trip will take a decidedly political turn when he sits down with Prime Minister Theresa May, just days before she steps down on June 7.
While she was the first foreign leader welcomed to the White House after Trump’s election victory in November 2016, their relationship has not always been rosy.
Tensions have soared on occasion and the disputes between the two sides are real.
Iran is a major point of contention, seeing as Britain backs the nuclear deal dumped by Trump. The Paris climate accord, which Trump also abandoned, is also on the list.
China and its controversial tech giant Huawei could also be on the agenda, as well as a US-British trade deal, though no concrete progress is expected from this trip.
The end of Trump’s European trip will focus on the 75th anniversary of D-Day, with a ceremony at Portsmouth also attended by the queen.
Trump and his wife Melania will then make a brief stop in Ireland before heading to France on June 6 for the D-Day commemorations in Normandy. — NNN-AGENCIES
