Charles need not worry – the Queen survived more worrying state visits,
Despite being scheduled to meet Donald Trump five times in four days, King Charles should not have fears about his safety, royal biographer Robert Hardman has told a live Palace Confidential audience in New York City.
Hardman said the security concerns surrounding the official state visit, which begins today, are nothing compared to some of the threats the late Queen faced down during her historic 70-year reign.
Fears for the King and Queen Camilla’s safety have grown in recent days after a gunman attempted to storm the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, firing at least one shot before being apprehended by Secret Service agents. It marks the third attempt on Trump’s life in less than two years.
Despite being scheduled to meet Donald Trump five times in four days, King Charles should have little to worry about, royal biographer Robert Hardman has said
Hardman said the security concerns surrounding the official state visit are nothing compared to some of the threats the late Queen faced down during her historic 70-year reign
Fears for the King and Queen Camilla’s safety have grown in recent days after a gunman attempted to storm the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington
Buckingham Palace said the King was ‘greatly relieved’ that Trump, the First Lady and all guests had escaped unharmed, before confirming on Sunday that the state visit would proceed as planned following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic.
Speaking to an audience of fans inside the spectacular Winter Gardens at New York’s Waldorf Astoria Residences, Hardman looked to history to illustrate just how much more dangerous royal tours of the past could be.
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‘We have been here before’, the royal biographer said.
‘Some of the state visits the late Queen had to go on were far more worrying than this. Donald Trump loves the Royal Family – nothing’s going to go wrong, it’s going to be all sweetness and light.
‘Look back to 1961, the Queen was going to Ghana with bombs going off. Parliament urged her not to go. In 1964 she went to Quebec and was urged not to go there too. In 1979 she went to Zambia. Mrs Thatcher tried to stop her because there were rumours guerrillas were going to fire Soviet missiles at her plane. She went anyway.
‘In the order of things to worry about on a Royal tour, this one I would say is fairly low down the list.’
Five days before the late Queen’s Ghana visit, bombs had exploded in the capital Accra. In Quebec she was met with full-scale riots, and in Zambia declassified government documents later confirmed that Thatcher’s fears about a missile strike on the royal aircraft were entirely justified.
Five days before the late Queen’s Ghana visit in 1961, bombs had exploded in the capital Accra
Palace co-host Rebecca English agreed with Hardman, adding that the visit had been specifically planned to avoid walkabouts, the informal moments where the King and President move freely among members of the public.
‘The opportunities for walkabouts are negligible on this trip’, she explained.
‘They are not happening at all. They have been advised not to do them by the Security Services here.
‘They will still meet members of the public at events, but it’s going to be carefully curated.’
These restrictions may prove difficult for King Charles, who, Hardman noted, has been fond of embracing members of the public on occasion.
He said: ‘Charles is very tactile. He likes engaging with the public. He likes a hug. Actually, he’s quite a huggy King.
‘The very first member of the public he met, the day after the Queen’s death, was in floods of tears. She told him: “I don’t want a handshake. I want a hug.”
‘He hugged her – that was his first act as King.’
To watch the full episode and follow the King’s visit to the United States day by day, subscribe to the Palace Confidential YouTube channel.
