Trump–King Charles talks to skip cameras amid fears of Zelenskyy-style repeat
Photo: King Charles III and US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
King Charles III will meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington behind closed doors. The reason is concerns about a repeat of the scandal involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February 2025 at the White House, reports The Guardian.
British officials insisted on a closed format for the meeting in the Oval Office.
Why is the meeting without the press
In February, Trump criticized Zelenskyy live on air during a meeting at the White House. To prevent something similar from happening with the British monarch, officials agreed that King Charles III would appear before the press only at the beginning of the meeting for photos. After that, all journalists will leave the room.
What is planned during the visit
The king arrived in Washington on Monday evening. On Tuesday are key events:
- A bilateral meeting with Trump in the Oval Office;
- An address to the US Congress.
At all events, the monarch will be accompanied by palace staff and UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
'A human shield' for the king
Diplomatic sources said Cooper is ready to intervene if the talks go off script.
“She’s ready to leap into action as a human shield for the king should Trump start criticising Starmer or the UK more generally, as he is prone to do,” one source said.
However, government insiders say Charles will most likely handle it himself.
“He’s had decades of experience of this sort of stuff, including meeting some quite difficult characters. He reads all his papers and knows exactly what is going on. We think he’ll be just fine,” another source said.
Some officials believe that in his speech, Charles will touch on environmental issues and support for Ukraine. These topics could be seen as indirect criticism of the Trump administration — but the king is likely to frame them in general terms, without specific attacks.
What Trump said about the king
Trump, on Sunday, speaking on CBS News, praised Charles for not canceling the trip after the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington.
“He's a fantastic man. I know him well, I've known him for years. He's a brave man, and he's a great man,” the president said.
The British side has high hopes for the trip, as relations between the two countries are now going through one of the most difficult periods in decades.
Recently, Trump threatened retaliation after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves publicly criticized his stance on the war in Iran. The government hopes that a personal meeting with the monarch will soften the American president’s rhetoric.
In early April, Trump said the United States might leave NATO, calling the alliance a paper tiger after Europe refused to join a US operation to unblock the Strait of Hormuz.
UK Defense Secretary John Healey responded by saying that London is not afraid of any retaliation from Trump.
According to him, UK–US military relations remain the deepest among all NATO allies, and next year the country will increase defense spending to 2.6% of GDP.
