How Charles’ message to Donald Trump could backfire: RICHARD EDEN,
There was widespread disgust in this country after Donald Trump’s slur against British troops.
Speaking at last week’s World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Switzerland, the US President claimed that America’s Nato allies failed to pull their weight during the 20-year Afghanistan war.
He declared: ‘We’ve never needed them. We’ve never really asked anything of them. You know, they’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that.
‘And they did. They stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.’
A total of 457 British service personnel died in the war with hundreds more left injured, many of them permanently. Prince Harry, who served two tours in Afghanistan, was quick to point this out.
‘I made lifelong friends there,’ he said in powerful statement. ‘I lost friends there. Thousands of lives were changed for ever. Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost.
‘Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defence of diplomacy and peace.’
President Trump eventually backpedalled, hailing British service personnel online as ‘among the greatest of all warriors’. He praised Britain for fighting in the war with ‘tremendous heart and soul’, adding: ‘We love you all and always will.’
His climbdown is said to have come after King Charles’s unease at his slur was relayed to the White House.
A British official told The Sun: ‘You would always expect our Commander-in-Chief to defend the Armed Forces’ proud record of service and sacrifice.’
A ‘well-placed source’ added: ‘It was made very clear that the King’s concern over the hurt had been caused by the comments, whether inadvertent or not.’
Trump is an outspoken admirer of the Royal Family who praised our Monarch as ‘a great gentleman and a great King’ during his historic second State visit last September. The King and Queen are expected to visit the President in America in April as part of the 250th anniversary of US Independence.
When the King let his unease about the President’s comments be known to the White House privately, he was reflecting what the vast majority of British people will have thought.
However, it’s questionable whether it was a wise move. The fact that his concerns were later made public via a newspaper is even more troubling.
Members of the Royal Family must avoid becoming embroiled in politics and this was, let’s be clear, a deeply political intervention.
During Queen Elizabeth’s long reign, her views were kept to herself for the long-term benefit of the monarchy, which could stay above politics.
On the rare occasions her views did leak out, it caused a crisis. For example, the Sunday Times published a story in 1986 about her relationship with the then prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, under the headline: ‘Queen dismayed by ‘uncaring’ Thatcher’.
It provoked a huge political row and, under intense scrutiny, the Sunday Times stood by its story. Palace officials soon identified the Queen’s own press secretary, Michael Shea, as the source. He left royal service the following year under a cloud.
The fact that the King’s comments followed Harry’s public intervention is another cause for concern. It seemed as though he was backing his California-based son – who has crossed swords with Trump before, just as Harry’s wife, Meghan, has done.
Giving the appearance of working in tandem with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – after all they have done to damage the monarchy – is not a good look for the King.
Prince William will, no doubt, have been just as appalled by the President’s comments as his brother and father. Yet, wisely, he chose to remain silent. He knows that the Royal Family wields influence, in part, because it avoids getting involved in political disputes.
This is not the first time that William has reminded me more of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, than of his father. And that gives me hope for the future of the monarchy.
