Politics

Trump's planned visit to the UK thrown into doubt after omission from Queen's speech

Key Points
  • King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain are set to be welcomed to the U.K. in July but there was no mention of Trump in the Queen's Speech.
  • A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Theresa May said the reason Trump's planned visit had not been detailed in the government's plans was that no date had yet been fixed.
Trump's planned visit to the UK thrown into doubt after omission from Queen's Speech
VIDEO0:3600:36
Trump's planned visit to the UK thrown into doubt after omission from Queen's Speech

President Donald Trump's state visit to Britain appears to have been postponed, as the announcement was omitted from the Queen's Speech on Wednesday.

In a speech written by the right-wing Conservative government, Queen Elizabeth II delivered the government's legislative program for the next two years.

However, while King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain were set to be welcomed to the U.K. in July, there was no mention of Trump. Typically, the State Opening of Parliament includes scheduled state visits.

A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Theresa May said the reason Trump's planned visit had not been detailed in the government's plans was that no date had yet been fixed.

Earlier this month, Trump reportedly called May and said he would not wish to go ahead with the trip if it was likely to spark widespread protests and demonstrations.

May had extended an invitation to her American counterpart in the week following Trump's inauguration in January — during a visit to the White House.

Shortly after the invitation was accepted, thousands of people opposed to Trump's planned trip to Britain protested outside Downing Street while almost 2 million people signed a petition urging May to rescind the invitation.

Legislative changes to ensure UK makes a success of Brexit: Queen
VIDEO3:4203:42
Legislative changes to ensure UK makes a success of Brexit: Queen

At the start of June, Trump faced fresh calls to scrap his planned visit after he criticized London Mayor Sadiq Khan for his response to a deadly terror attack in the British capital.

A spokesperson for Khan dismissed Trump's remarks as "ill-informed."

In an early morning tweet, Trump referred to the number of dead and wounded in the attack on London Bridge, and appeared to chide Khan for telling Londoners not to be alarmed. The tweet took a portion of the mayor's message to residents out of context.

Two days later, Trump appeared to double down on his attack on the London mayor as he accused Khan of giving a "pathetic excuse."