US President praises the monarch while discussing Canada and royal ties in a new interview
US President Donald Trump posed an unexpected question about King Charles III while speaking with royal biographer Robert Hardman ahead of the monarch’s upcoming visit to the United States.
In an interview conducted for Hardman’s forthcoming book about Elizabeth II, the US President wondered whether Canadians still recognise the King as their head of state.
The conversation reportedly turned to Canada’s relationship with the monarchy when Hardman jokingly urged the president to “please leave Canada alone,” suggesting that any talk of annexation would likely upset the country’s monarch. Trump then paused and asked whether Canadians still acknowledged the King.
According to Hardman, whose interview appeared in the Mail, the president asked: “Do they still recognise the King? Or have they stopped that?”
When the author confirmed that Canada still recognises the monarch as head of state, Trump responded with a light jab at the country’s leadership, saying the politicians are “nice to my face and then they say bad things behind my back.”
Despite the remark, Trump spoke warmly about Charles, calling him a “fantastic guy” and praising the monarch’s resilience, particularly in light of his ongoing battle with cancer.
“He’s a great guy and he’s grown so much in the last 10 years and especially over the last couple of years as King,” the president said. “His fight has shown that.”
Later this month, Charles and Queen Camilla are expected to travel to the United States for a long-planned visit marking the 250th anniversary of American independence from Britain.
During the trip, the King is also scheduled to address the US Congress on April 28 while in Washington, before the royal couple continue their journey with a visit to Bermuda.
