In the Queen’s speech given on Wednesday, the Queen of England failed to mention any plans to welcome American President Donald Trump during the upcoming year, an indication that one or both national leaders had possibly called off the previously scheduled event.
While it is still unclear whether Trump will make the trip, and if not, whom called it off, earlier statements from Trump seem to indicate that it was he who canceled the meeting.
After being invited to visit the Queen, Trump seemed to call off the plans, too afraid of the number of protesters that might assemble in response to his visit. Trump’s disdain for protests is more than clear.
The Queen extended her invitation to the newly-elected American president in January of 2017, an invitation which Trump then accepted. Trump is set to meet with both the Queen and Prime Minister Theresa May.
Trump had previously met with May during the early days of his presidency when the U.K. leader made a trip to the White House for a diplomatic meeting. The meeting appeared cordial and May refrained from separating herself from Trump rhetoric or policy during the trip.
Since then, of course, a major political shift has taken place in the U.K., meaning that the public is now more hostile to right-wing politics as ever. Now, it may not just be May who is hesitant to embrace Trump, but Trump who is hesitant to embrace May.
Still, officials in the U.K. say that the omission of Trump’s visit was not a snub by the queen, nor an indication of an all-out cancellation. Instead, they say that Trump’s visit was not mentioned because there had not yet been an official date set for the trip.
A No.10 spokesman told HuffPost UK: “An invitation has been extended and accepted. The visit wasn’t mentioned in the Queen’s Speech because a date hasn’t been fixed yet.”
A strong relationship between the U.K. and the U.S. has always been an important part of international relations; if we cannot depend on this important alliance, upon whom will the U.S. call in a time of need?
