Melania and Donald Trump are getting another shot at British Royal protocol come June, with the latter attending Clarence House tea with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.
In what is slated to be a stilted encounter next month, the United States President---who will be accompanied by the First Lady Melania on this trip---is set to have a visit with Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla. The upcoming event is considered a rare occurrence, as it is not usual practice for dignitaries to be treated to a meeting, social or otherwise, by the successor to the throne of the United Kingdom.
The protocol grants President Donald Trump and Melania an audience with Queen Elizabeth II, but not assuredly a spot of tea with Charles and Camilla, and in their abode no less.
Nothing official has been forthcoming as yet from the office of the Prince of Wales regarding the upcoming visit. But even without knowing the agenda for the expected meeting, the environmental issue is bound to come up, some quarters expect. It is predicted to be an awkward event, given the two leaders' differing views on climate change.
While the Duke of Cornwall has been a strong champion for environmental concerns, having recently spoken on the "potentially catastrophic" impact of "global warming," Trump has been openly depreciative about the crisis, choosing to withdraw from the 2017 Paris Climate Accords.
It is believed that the said Clarence House meeting might take place on June 3, the first day of the three-day affair. The Queen will host the state dinner on the evening of that day.
Prince Charles and Donald Trump had already met in the past, in 2005, when the British royal and Camilla went on their tour of the United States. This upcoming meeting, though, will be the first in an official capacity after Trump's election to the U.S. presidency. It is noted that the two were present though during the funeral of former U.S. President George H.W. Bush late last year.
Melania and Donald Trump have previously visited the Queen, an occasion which had roused the anger of the British masses back in July 2018. That was when Trump was reported to have announced he was kept waiting by the monarch. Charles and his sons, Prince William, and Prince Harry were said to have foregone any involvement with that visit at the time.
On the upcoming June visit, besides the evening affair with the Queen and tea with the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, Trump is also attending the meeting with the Prime Minister of Britain, Theresa May. Additionally, he is expected to put in an appearance in Portsmouth for the 75th memorial of Allied D-Day landings.
As with Trump's first visit to the United Kingdom, it is anticipated that protests may once more take place at the British capital. There was no comment from the White House on the Trump and Prince Charles meeting.
