King Charles’ first state visit to the United States will go ahead next month despite calls for the trip to be delayed over objections to the Iran war.

Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday that King Charles and Queen Camilla are making the trip across the Atlantic on the advice of the UK government and at the invitation of US President Donald Trump.

“Their Majesties’ programme will celebrate the historic connections and modern bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States, marking the 250th anniversary of American Independence,” the palace said.

Although the visit wasn’t confirmed until today, the King’s trip to Washington this spring has been widely speculated in British media for weeks.

However, a growing number of UK lawmakers have questioned whether it would be wise for Charles to continue with the visit, with some calling for the trip to be scrapped or postponed, as the conflict in the Middle East enters its second month.

Charles first state visit to the US in late April comes after Trump has repeatedly criticised the UK government over its response to the US and Israel’s war with Iran.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated his position on Monday, saying, “This is not our war and we’re not going to get drawn into it.”

“What we have done is taken defensive action: so we’ve had our pilots up in the air since an hour or two after this war started, defending British lives, British interests and, of course, our allies in the region,” Starmer said, according to Britain’s PA Media news agency.

After the King’s trip to the US, Charles will travel on to Bermuda for his first visit as a monarch to a British Overseas Territory, the palace also said.

Source: CNN

--Agencies