London – The British government’s decision to invite President Donald Trump for a state visit, one of the highest honors it can bestow on a visiting dignitary, has involved Queen Elizabeth II in the passionate debate over Trump’s travel ban.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Trump’s provocative decision to deny refugees access to the United States and to make it more difficult for people from seven Muslim-majority countries to visit has been widely denounced by opposition leaders and sparked protests in Britain, leading some to question the wisdom of the government’s decision.
It is the British government, currently led by Prime Minister Theresa May, that invites heads of state on the queen’s behalf, but it is the queen who acts as hostess. In most cases, that involves lavish pomp and ceremony, as well as a stay of several days at the queen’s official residence, Buckingham Palace.
The prospect of protests outside the palace when Trump comes calling has put the queen in a “very difficult position,” said Peter Ricketts, formerly a top official in the Foreign Office.
In a letter to The Times on Tuesday, Ricketts said the “state visit” should be downgraded to a lower level “official visit” to spare the monarch any embarrassment. He said the invitation should not have been extended in the first days of Trump’s administration.
“It would have been far wiser to wait and see what sort of president he would turn out to be before advising the queen to invite him,” Ricketts said.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the first Muslim elected to that post, has called for the invitation to be rescinded. His office said he will describe Trump’s travel ban as “cruel, prejudiced and counterproductive” at a City Hall diplomatic reception Tuesday.
An online petition opposing Trump’s visit has drawn more than 1.6 million signatures, prompting what will be a non-binding debate in Parliament set for Feb. 20.
State visits are typically offered to foreign monarchs, presidents and prime ministers in ways designed to bolster British diplomacy and economic interests.
The invitation to Trump is part of an effort to strengthen ties with the goal of reaching a beneficial trade agreement with the United States once Britain leaves the European Union.
A state visit is a carefully choreographed event and involves grand pageantry in the heart of London.
The queen and other senior royals greet visitors with a ceremonial welcome, usually on Horse Guards Parade, followed by a carriage procession to the palace. A multi-gun salute is fired from Green Park and the Tower of London, and there traditionally is a formal banquet for roughly 150 guests in the palace ballroom.
The queen opens the state dinner with a speech, followed by a formal toast to her guest.
Buckingham Palace officials said the queen would not comment on plans for Trump’s visit. The government says the visit is “months away” and that a date has not been chosen.
May said during a joint appearance with Trump Friday that he would be coming for a state visit at an unspecified date.
Hours later, Trump signed the executive order limiting travel to the United States. May has said she does not agree with the plan, but the government insists the state visit is going forward.
It’s ve y easy for the Libtards in the country to protest now, because if they were in power they would have no choice but to invite him ….And I have news for you Trump sees this and yeh UK will suffer
if the Queen saw the DICTATOR HUSSEIN OBAMA then she should see the Uniter President Trump
UK IS suffering & has been for decades. Since India & Pakistan are Commonwealth countries, their citizens are legally entitled to travel to Britain. But they bring craziness & Shariah Law with them & nationalist parties are doing very well especially in local elections, because British citizens feel they are under attack. Just like there is a huge outcry over Muslim immigration to the US, the same is going on in UK.
As for the Queen…. we all have to do what we have to do. If she has protests outside her door, too bad.
Who cares about the phony Queen? Not once in her sixty four years on the throne, has she ever traveled to Eretz Yisrael, although she had traveled to a number of Arab countries. Also, she was not nice to the late Princess Diana. Princess Diana, before her untimely death, spoke about how she was mistreated by the so-called Royal family. Yet, when Diana died, the Queen, put on a phony act, and stated that “Diana was an extraordinary human being”. The Queen was so full of baloney, with her meaningless, statement, which was not heartfelt, that it was pathetic!