Donald Trump wants King Charles to come to the US next year for Independence Day

Next year is the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. I love American history so much, and I still think about how bonkers it must have been for those British colonialists to say “actually, f–k the crown and f–k the king” in 1776. The 250th anniversary is called the Semiquincentennial, the Bisesquicentennial, the Sestercentennial or the “quarter Millennium.” It’s going to be a big deal. Except that next year, you know, we’ll still be dealing with all of ~this~ so it’s probably going to suck. I imagine that Donald Trump will turn it into a military parade to celebrate Dear Leader. Well, apparently, Trump wants to invite King Charles to come over for the Semiquincentennial.

Could anything be more Trumpian? Take the most anti-monarchical moment in U.S. history, and turn it into a royal guest spot. Yes, two hundred and fifty years after defeating the Crown, Trump was so enamored by the royals on his state visit to Britain this week that he wants to celebrate American independence by rolling out the red carpet for none other than the great-great-great-great-grandson of George III.

The revelation that the administration intends to extend an invitation to Trump was broken by the Daily Telegraph’s U.S. correspondent Rob Crilly, who reported that a senior White House official confirmed the plan as Trump flew home Thursday evening aboard Air Force One.

“It was a really fantastic trip,” the official said. “The British know how to do this perfectly. They set the bar high for their trip to see us.”

Whether the King would even be physically able to make such a long trip next year is, of course, uncertain. Charles is still receiving weekly treatment for cancer, but he has repeatedly shown he can travel abroad despite his health issues.

While long-haul travel is obviously a challenge, the fact that such journeys have been proven possible suggests that, with careful planning, a U.S. visit could be manageable. Unlike when they receive guests, which is done on the orders of the government, monarchs are, by precedent, free to refuse or accept overseas visits depending on personal circumstances, including health.

It is, of course, impossible to predict the progress of his illness into next year. However, the assumption that he could still travel overseas by the White House should be taken as an encouraging sign that courtiers who insist Charles’ reign has “many years to run” are not dissembling.

The last time a British monarch made an official visit to the United States was in 2007, when Queen Elizabeth II attended celebrations marking the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown.

[From The Royalist Substack]

I remember QEII’s 2007 visit – she came to Virginia when Tim Kaine was governor, and George W. Bush was president. Bush made several gaffes and QEII was not amused. It’s wild to think that was the last time a British monarch visited the US. Did QEII really not visit during the Obama years? I guess not. Anyway, I actually see the historic significance of wanting the British monarch to visit for the Semiquincentennial. I just doubt that Trump understands the history – he wants Charles to come over because he thinks that they’re both bigly kings.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.