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Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party in Britain, is urging King Charles III to call off his planned trip to the United States, arguing that a state visit would reward President Donald Trump as tensions rise over the conflict with Iran.
The king was supposed to make a trip to the U.S. sometime next month as part of festivities marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
“At a moment when Trump has launched what I believe is an illegal war that is destabilizing the Middle East and driving up energy costs for British households, this visit should not move forward,” Davey said Monday.
“A state visit from our monarch would be viewed as a significant boost for President Trump — something that should not be granted to someone who repeatedly undermines and insults our country,” Davey said.
Buckingham Palace told multiple media outlets that no state visit to the U.S. has been scheduled and noted that such trips only occur on the advice of the British government. Still, officials have previously indicated that preparations were underway for the king to travel to the U.S.
Davey’s Liberal Democrats are the third-largest party in Britain’s Parliament. His request to cancel the overseas trip comes amid deteriorating relations between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Trump.
The tension flared again over the weekend when Starmer announced that Britain would deploy additional naval vessels to the Gulf to assist Cyprus and other allies.
Trump posted on social media: “That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer. But we will remember. We don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won!”
Earlier, Starmer had worked to maintain a cordial relationship with Trump, believing that a strong personal connection would advance Britain’s interests with the U.S. Last year, he became the first foreign leader to negotiate a trade deal with Trump, aiming to shield Britain from the steeper tariffs Trump was imposing globally. In September, Starmer even facilitated a high-profile state visit, hosting Trump at Windsor Castle.
Trump has publicly expressed frustration over Britain’s refusal to grant American forces access to joint bases, including the U.S.-U.K. facility in Diego Garcia and another site in England, for the initial strikes against Iran.
“He should be giving us, without question or hesitation, things like bases,” Trump told the New York Post last week.