Trump heaps praise on Charles and William at state banquet
Donald Trump piled on the praise for King Charles and Prince William during his state banquet speech – while making no mention of Prince Harry.
The US president arrived in the UK on Tuesday and met members of the royal family on Wednesday in a ceremony of pomp and pageantry.
His historic second state visit included a state banquet at St George’s Hall in Windsor Castle. Mr Trump’s first state visit in 2019 is estimated to have cost the taxpayers £5 million, and Mr Trump said he hopes this state visit will be the last.
During last night’s dinner, Mr Trump said the King “has uplifted the poor, cared for rural farmers and tended to wounded veterans like nobody else”.
Mr Trump commended Prince William as “really amazing”, saying that “His Majesty has also raised a remarkable son in His Royal Highness, Prince of Wales”.
Harry and his extensive military achievements were absent from the conversation, despite the former captain spending a significant decade of his life serving in the British Army and founding the Invictus Games in 2014 for wounded and sick veterans.
The Duke of Sussex was in Ukraine just last week, discussing improvements for supporting returning military personnel who have suffered life-changing injuries.
The 47th American president seemed to favour Prince William, and said: “We’ve gotten to know you and I think you’re going to have an unbelievable success in future.”
Mr Trump complimented his wife Kate, the Princess of Wales, stating: “Melania and I are delighted to visit again with Prince William and to see Her Royal Highness, Princess Catherine, so radiant and so healthy, so beautiful.”
In comparison, Mr Trump has been publicly critical of Harry and his wife Meghan Markle in the past, accusing them of treating the late Queen Elizabeth II “very disrespectfully”.
The couple no longer hold their titles as working royals and relocated to a home in California.
However, the US president ruled out the idea of deporting Harry after it was alleged that drug use referenced in his memoir Spare could have disqualified him from a US visa.
Ms Markle has previously referred to Mr Trump as “divisive” and a “misogynist”.
Prince Harry visited the UK last week on a solo trip where he attended a series of charitable events, including WellChild, Children in Need, and his own Invictus Games Foundation. Harry then travelled to Ukraine before returning to California long before Mr Trump’s arrival.
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