Earlier this week, on Thursday (27 February), UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer handed US President Donald Trump a letter from King Charles III with a ‘unique’ request.
Starmer handed Trump a hand-signed letter just minutes after sitting down in the Oval Office, telling him: “This is really special. This has never happened before. This is unprecedented.
“This is truly historic.”
The letter in question invited Trump to the UK for his historic second state visit, the first of which was hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2019.
In the letter, Trump’s hand partially obscures the letter, which reads: “I can only say that it would be … pleasure to extend that invitation once again, in the hope that you … some stage be visiting Turnberry and a detour to a relatively near neighbour might not cause you too much inconvenience. An alternative might perhaps be for you to visit Balmoral.
“There is much on both estates which I think you might find interesting, and enjoy – particularly as my foundation at Dumfries House provides hospitality skills-training for young people who often end up as staff on your own establishments!”
The letter continues: “Quite apart from this presenting an opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest, it would also offer a valuable chance to plan a historic second state visit to the United Kingdom.
“As you will know this is unprecedented by a US President. That is why I would find it helpful for us to be able to discuss, together, a range of options for location and programme content.
“In so doing, working together, I know we will further enhance the special relationship between our two countries of which we are both so proud.”
The letter was hand-signed by the king: “Yours Most Sincerely, Charles.”
“That’s a great, great honour. And that says at Windsor – that’s really something,”
Trump responded by accepting the King’s offer, becoming the only elected political leader in modern history to be invited to two state visits by a British monarch.
Clearly smitten by the invitation, Trump took the time to compliment Charles: “He’s a beautiful man, a wonderful man – I’ve gotten to know him very well, actually, first term and now second term.
“We’ve known each other now for a little while. This is not our first meeting. He loves his country. And so, that’s our common theme. He loves his country. And I love our country.”
The 78-year-old Republican added: “And we also have two countries that have gotten along for the longest period of time. Number one ally on each side. We have France, Australia, a lot of good ones – but we’ve had a long-time relationship, a long time, hundreds of years.”
