Britain’s queen took a subtle jab at Donald Trump’s attacks on US allies while standing next him
- Queen Elizabeth seemed to offer subtle but diplomatic criticism of US President Donald Trump’s approach to global affairs
- As Trump sat next to her at the state banquet on his UK visit, the queen highlighted the ‘international institutions’ that the US and the UK built together following World War II and a ‘hard won peace’
Queen Elizabeth on Monday took a subtle jab at US President Donald Trump’s controversial attacks on allies and institutions the US and the United Kingdom built together in the wake of World War II - and she did so while standing next to the president.
“As we face the new challenges of the 21st century, the anniversary of D-Day reminds us of all that our countries have achieved together. After the shared sacrifices of the second world war, Britain and the United States worked with other allies to build an assembly of international institutions, to ensure that the horrors of conflict would never be repeated,” the queen said just a few days before the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
The queen added: “While the world has changed, we are forever mindful of the original purpose of these structures: nations working together to safeguard a hard won peace ... Mr President, as we look to the future, I am confident that our common values and shared interests will continue to unite us.”
Trump has continuously placed strains on the “special relationship” between the US and the UK, and he has faced protests during his visit America’s closest ally.
In an early-morning tweet on Monday, Trump attacked London Mayor Sadiq Khan as a “stone cold loser” who has done “terrible job”, exhibiting a level of animosity toward a British leader not seen from any of the president’s recent predecessors.
Donald Trump’s long-running feud with London Mayor Sadiq Khan
Khan has often been critical of Trump and, in a Saturday op-ed, wrote that Trump is “just one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat”, saying the “far right is on the rise around the world”.
More broadly, Trump has tested the historic US-UK partnership via his attacks on US allies and institutions such as Nato and the United Nations.
The US and the UK played an instrumental role in founding both of these global institutions and are still powerful players within them, but Trump hasn’t placed much stock in international cooperation since entering the White House.
Read more: Trump appeared to touch the queen’s back during dinner, which is a major violation of royal protocol
Indeed, the president’s foreign policy has frequently put Washington at odds with London, which British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt alluded to while discussing Trump’s visit on Monday.
“We don’t agree with everything [Trump] says or does,” Hunt said.
“We don’t agree with his approach to climate change or the Iran nuclear deal ... But that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the fact that this is one of the most important alliances in history.”
