Following some of President Donald Trump's comments during his state dinner speech, Buckingham Palace had to react quickly in response

12:18, Thu, Apr 30, 2026 Updated: 12:24, Thu, Apr 30, 2026

King Charles and Donald Trump

Donald Trump was accused of breaking royal protocol during the state visit dinner (Image: Getty)

President Donald Trump has been accused of breaking protocol during King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit to the United States after making a controversial remark at a state dinner. The King is visiting the US ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations, amid ongoing questions over the strength of the so-called “special relationship” between the UK and US.

At a state dinner earlier this week, both the King and Trump delivered speeches. During his address, Trump suggested the monarch agreed with his stance on Iran. Referring to the country, he said: “We have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we're never going to let that opponent ever - Charles agrees with me even more than I do - we're never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon.” The remark prompted criticism, with some arguing it risked compromising the monarch’s expected political neutrality and forcing Buckingham Palace to respond.

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Trump speaking at the state dinner

Trump speaking at the state dinner (Image: Getty)

Speaking to the i paper, a royal source said: “He went off script. I was flabbergasted that he said that… It was very poor form to put the King in that situation.”

A Palace spokesperson later said: “The King is naturally mindful of his Government's long-standing and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation.”

The exchange has raised questions about whether the incident could affect the success of the state visit or draw the monarch into geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

In response, the BBC’s diplomatic correspondent James Landale suggested it was unlikely to have lasting consequences. Writing for the BBC, he said: “If the King did express this view, he may only have been reflecting the longstanding position of his current and past governments which have all sought - along with allies - to stop Iran developing nuclear weapons.

“Supporting that policy, largely through diplomacy and economic sanctions, is not the same as endorsing what some consider to be an illegal and ill-conceived war on the Islamic republic.”

King Charles and Donald Trump

King Charles and Trump (Image: Getty)

Tensions surrounding the visit come as Trump has criticised allies, including the UK, for not joining US military action against Iran, a conflict that has contributed to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Talking to the BBC following the King’s speech — widely regarded as a success — former Middle East adviser Brett McGurk downplayed its immediate impact.

He argued that while Britain retains significant soft power, its limited hard power — particularly in terms of deployable military assets — remains a constraint, though one that could be addressed to strengthen ties with Washington.

He said: “If the King's speech could actually translate into some shared interests and burden sharing, there is an opportunity. If you look at what's happening with Ukraine, we really need the Brits - and their Navy with us in the Strait of Hormuz."