Donald Trump made a humiliating on-air blunder by calling King Charles a ‘Prince’ just hours after the monarch’s state visit was confirmed.
While conducting an interview in the Oval Office on Tuesday, the US President spoke about the construction behind the White House ballroom.
He mentioned issues with the ground during bad weather, before saying the rising levels of rainwater were not a good feeling for the ‘Prince’.
‘When it rains, you’re in trouble, the water can go up to three-to-four inches over their shoes, it’s not a good feeling for Prince… what, who was Prince Charles, who will be, who was, who will be here in the next couple of weeks,’ he said.
The visit will take place ‘at the end of April’ and will include a glittering State Banquet at the White House thrown by Trump, who has made no secret of his admiration for the British monarch and his desire for the trip to go ahead.
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey accused the PM of ‘showing a staggering lack of backbone by pushing ahead with this state visit while Donald Trump treats our country with contempt’.
‘To send the King on a state visit to the US after Trump dismissed our Royal Navy as “toys” is a humiliation, and a sign of a government too weak to stand up to bullies,’ he said.
‘What appalling thing does Trump have to do next to make the Government see sense and cancel the state visit?’
Trump declared the trip will be ‘TERRIFIC!’ and a ‘momentous occasion’ in a post on his Truth Social site, adding that there would be ‘a beautiful Banquet Dinner’ at the White House on the evening of April 28.
He also revealed the ‘historic state visit’ will take place over four days from April 27-30 – despite Buckingham Palace deciding not to release the exact dates in its own official announcement.
He said that, along with First Lady Melania Trump, he would ‘look forward to spending time with the King, whom I greatly respect. It will be TERRIFIC!’
It is also expected that King Charles will deliver an address to Congress.
State visits are undertaken on ‘the advice of His Majesty’s Government’, a fact with which the Palace began its official statement announcing the tour.
Last week, Washington’s ambassador to the UK said it would be a ‘very big mistake’ to cancel the King’s planned state visit to the US.
In a question-and-answer session following his speech to the British Chambers of Commerce conference in London on Thursday, Warren Stephens said: ‘I think that would be a very big mistake.’
He added: ‘I think he will go and I think it will be a very meaningful trip for him.’
President Trump pointed to the upcoming visit to highlight the need for a £301million ballroom at the White House.
The president argued the development was necessary to entertain a large number of people when hosting foreign dignitaries and world leaders.
But sources suggest he is not expected to meet his son Prince Harry, who lives in California, on the other coast to where the King will be meeting President Trump, during a trip which is likely to be tightly packed with official events.
The 90,000-square-foot project, which saw the East Wing torn down last October, has been the subject of a legal challenge in a bid to halt construction.
A panel reviewing the plans, which is headed by a top aide to the president, is due to hold a final vote on the scheme on April 2.
