Why King Charles' US Visit May Be Followed by a 'Hastily Scheduled' Vatican Trip
King Charles has long taken an interest in many religions, not just the Church of England, and his coronation reflected the same.
As King Charles prepares for a high-stakes US state visit, another trip may be on his agenda, one that could ruffle feathers with Donald Trump. Royal expert Tina Brown has good reason to suggest that the King would likely undertake a 'hastily scheduled' visit to the Vatican to meet Pope Leo XIV. She believes the monarch was deeply troubled by Trump's furious tirade against the Pope over his conflicting stance on the US–Iran war, making the Vatican trip a pointed show of solidarity.
On her Substack, Fresh Hell, Brown said that Charles's visit comes at a time of tension between the UK and the US and the country's ongoing conflict with Iran. Speaking of which, when Pope Leo publicly lambasted Trump for choosing violence over peace, the President lashed out in a social media post, calling the Pontiff "Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons." According to Brown, this furious retort is said to have 'pained' Charles, who regarded interfaith understanding as always high on his priority list. She said, "He [Charles] wanted, as monarch, to be called defender of faith, not the faith."
Citing another example of his subtle show of support, which directly contradicted Trump's stance, she added, "As with the King's immediate invitation asking Zelensky to tea at Sandringham after Trump and Vance roughed up the Ukrainian leader in the Oval Office last year, I fully expect a hastily scheduled trip to the Vatican to appear on the King's calendar soon." Charles's interfaith understanding was on full display during his Vatican state visit last October, when he publicly prayed with the Pontiff. As head of the Anglican Church, many criticized him for breaking royal tradition and neglecting his duty as a Protestant monarch by praying with the Bishop of Rome, who is a Catholic.
As for Charles's relationship with Trump, while the US President has publicly praised the monarch, Brown claimed the sentiment is not mutual. She explained, "There will be no whiff next week of how 'viscerally,' I am told, King Charles privately despises his Presidential host. Trump thought he was currying favor when he stomped on the constitutional monarchy's separation of powers with the observation, 'I think he [the King] would have taken a very different stand [on the war in Iran], but he doesn't do that.'" She further argued that Charles was one of the few public figures who knew how to behave, suggesting that he would remain composed and cordial with Trump during his visit.
On April 14, Buckingham Palace announced details of Charles and Queen Camilla's upcoming US trip. It is set to run from April 27 to 30 before they continue to Bermuda. According to PEOPLE, they will first stop at Washington DC, where they will be warmly received by Trump and First Lady, Melania, for a private tea. A garden party is also on the schedule, where guests will come together to celebrate the US and UK's cordial bond.
