Could the King cancel his visit to the US over Trump’s tariff threats?

Sir Keir Starmer dodged answering questions about whether King Charles’ expected state visit to the US in April may be cancelled as tensions rise over president Donald Trump’s tariff threats.

The US president threatened the UK, Denmark and other European countries with 10 per cent tariffs over their opposition to a takeover of Greenland by America. The UK would be charged a 10 per cent tariff on “any and all goods” sent to the US from 1 February, increased to 25 per cent from 1 June, until a deal is reached for Washington to purchase Greenland from Denmark.

Questions were raised over the weekend about how the UK might respond and if that could include the King pulling out of a state visit floated to take place in April. The King’s trip was meant to be part of a campaign to revitalise a trade agreement with the US after a promised American investment in Britain from tech firms was paused , according to The Times.

Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey said on social media: “The PM must tell Trump in no uncertain terms: if he goes ahead with these outrageous tariffs and keeps bullying Greenland, there’ll be no state visit to the US in April. The UK must not be a doormat for an extortionist, or reward Trump’s behaviour with the pageantry he craves.”

Speaking in an emergency press conference on Monday, Sir Keir said the use of tariffs against allies is “completely wrong” and added it was “not the right way to resolve differences with an alliance.” He refuted the idea of retaliatory tariffs, adding a trade war was in no one’s interest.

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Asked whether he would advise the King against a state visit to the United States, the prime minister merely affirmed it was important to continue working with the US on matters of defence, intelligence and security, which “requires us to have a good relationship with the United States.”

He added that this didn’t mean the UK had to pretend it didn’t have a difference of opinion with Washington.

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“There is a principle here that cannot be set aside because it goes to the heart of how stable and trusted international cooperation works,” he said, adding that any decision about the future status of Greenland "belongs to the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone".

The state visit would coincide with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the US declaration of independence from Britain, a first by a British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II accepted an invitation from George W Bush in 2007.

King Charles has played a vital role in easing relations between the UK and Trump. The US leader came to the UK last year for an unprecedented second state visit, interpreted by commentators as move to appease him as he returned to the White House following Joe Biden’s stint in the Oval Office and ensure that British-American relations continued to be smooth.

Trump has made no secret of his love for the royal family and said one of his first memories was watching his late mother, Mary, who grew up in the Hebrides, transfixed by the Queen’s coronation in 1953.

Buckingham Palace did not comment on reported plans for a state visit, but The Independent understands any state visit would take place at the request of the government and would be announced as normal.