.jpg?fit=900%2C750)
Newly appointed US president Donald Trump has been invited by UK Prime Minster Theresa May to attend a state visit to meet the Queen, only weeks into his term.
In a letter to The Times Lord Peter Ricketts, the former head of the UK Foreign Office, says the visit puts “the Queen in a very difficult position.” He believes the Queen should be protected from any political controversy, and that a state visit in the first year of office was unprecedented and this invitation “premature”.
Questioning if Trump was “specially deserving of this exceptional honour,” Lord Ricketts added: “It would have been far wiser to wait to see what sort of president he would turn out to be before advising the Queen to invite him.”
The controversial invitation by the Prime Minister came just hours before Trump signed an executive order which banned refugees and citizens of seven mainly Muslim countries from entering the US on security grounds.
The event has sparked outrage from the British public, and even reportedly from Buckingham Palace.
A petition by the UK public has exceeded 1.5 million signatures, in an effort to cancel the state visit. Protesters outside 10 Downing Street were shouting “shame on May”, while the Palace was bemused by the announcement and is suggesting it was a political move by the Prime Minister.
During a press conference in Dublin, Prime Minister May said: “The United States is a close ally of the UK, we work together across many areas of mutual interest and we have that special relationship between us.”
She added, “I have issued that invitation for a state visit to President Trump to the UK and that invitation stands.”
What is usually a jovial and exciting affair between the Queen and the new US President will now be tainted by this premature invitation, and the actions of Trump’s government.
Prince Charles will also be expected to attend the state visit with her majesty. After Charles’ stirring speech about the importance of not forgetting the “horrific lessons” of WWII was believed to be a thinly-veiled warning against Donald Trump, no doubt the future King will have something to say to the new President.
