Donald Trump Invites King Charles for a State Visit — Then Makes a Mistake Only He Would
During a recent address in the Oval Office, Donald Trump confirmed that 'Prince Charles' would visit in a couple of weeks.
After meeting King Charles more than three times, one might expect US President Donald Trump to remember his correct title. Yet, as human as we are, sometimes slip-ups are bound to happen. During an address in the Oval Office on March 31, Trump spoke about the ongoing construction behind the White House ballroom and confirmed Charles's April state visit. The problem? He referred to the King by his former title, 'Prince,' not once but twice, on live television.
In his address to the press, posted on The White House YouTube Channel, the President mentioned some issues with the construction due to bad weather before saying that the rainwater would not appease the 'Prince'. He said, "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 here in the next couple of weeks." Promptly realizing his blunder on-air, he corrected himself, adding, "King Charles, who's a great guy. We don't want him to sit in a pool of water, and they've been wanting this, for I think of it, 150 years, and we're building it, and it's covered perfectly."
The visit, set to take place at the end of April, will include a pompous state banquet at the White House, pulling out all the stops for Charles and Queen Camilla, as they did for him during his September state visit to the UK. It is also expected that the King will address the Congress. State visits are often approved on 'the advice of His Majesty's Government,' a fact with which the Palace began its statement announcing the tour. Despite Buckingham Palace withholding the official dates of the upcoming trip, Trump revealed that the 'historic state visit' will take place from April 27th to 30th.
In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote, "Melania and I are pleased to announce that Their Majesties, the King and Queen of the United Kingdom, will visit the United States for a historic state visit from April 27th to 30th, which will include a beautiful banquet dinner at the White House on the evening of April 28th." The statement continued, "This momentous occasion will be even more special this year, as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of our great country. I look forward to spending time with the King, whom I greatly respect. It will be TERRIFIC!"
As for Trump's embarrassing on-air mishap, the Oval Office interview isn't the first time he has mistakenly addressed the King with the wrong title. Last September, just before his UK state visit, he explained its purpose, telling reporters outside the White House, "Primarily it's to be with Prince Charles and Camilla. He's [a friend] of mine for a long time, long before he was King... I think he represents the country so well. He's such an elegant gentleman."
