Trump says King will be 'very safe' during US visit after security talks

It is understood that diplomats no longer use the phrase the "special relationship", but this visit comes at an unusually difficult time for the US and UK partnership.Trump has criticised Starmer over not supporting the US in its conflict with Iran, and there have been disagreements between the two allies.The state visit, which will include events in Washington DC, New York and Virginia, will show that the "partnership ranges well beyond the government of the day", said the ambassador.Following the event at the White House on Monday, during which the King and Queen will have tea with the Trumps, they will then attend a garden party with guests who have connections to the US and the UK.State visits are carried out on behalf of the government and Sir Christian identified three strategic priorities - investment, military co-operation and encouraging "people to people" connections, including tourism and education.But this visit has faced some criticism, including from Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, who called for it to be cancelled, describing the US president as "unreliable".The diplomatic centrepiece will be the King's speech to the US Congress on Tuesday, in which the King will have to achieve a balancing act between asserting the UK government's positions and also maintaining friendly relations with Trump.The US president will make his own remarks at a state dinner at the White House.Trump has remained an enthusiastic fan of the monarchy and in an interview with Fox News on Sunday, he praised King Charles, saying: "He's really a fantastic person and a tremendous representative."The UK government will be hoping that some of that warmth will translate to the political relationship.But Labour MP Emily Thornberry, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, said she remained "anxious" about the potential diplomatic implications of the visit.She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It is a really high-wire act and the president is so unpredictable, you just don't know what he's going to say."Speaking to Times Radio last week, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage rejected the suggestion Trump could embarrass the King, saying the president "just won't do that", and that he has an "extraordinary respect" for the royals.Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has also backed the visit, while other opposition parties have been critical of it.Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has repeatedly called for the visit to be cancelled, pointing to Trump's threat of tariffs against the UK, as well as his party's opposition to the war against Iran, describing the president as an "unreliable" ally.Green Party leader Zack Polanski told BBC 5 Live Breakfast that he "feels sorry" for the King ahead of the trip, and that the UK should seek to improve relations with the US by "taking a sterner line, not by sending a monarch to be paraded".