Trump Will Meet Queen Elizabeth II Next Month, His Ambassador Says

Queen Elizabeth II in London this month. As Britain’s head of state, she meets with foreign leaders frequently at the behest of her ministers.CreditNiklas Halle'N/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

President Trump will meet Queen Elizabeth II during his long-delayed first trip to Britain next month, the United States ambassador to Britain said on Wednesday, an encounter that could reignite furor among British critics who oppose his deeply divisive policies and his polarizing personality.

The ambassador, Robert Wood Johnson, announced the planned encounter in an interview with Sky News, the British broadcaster.

He said while the details were still being worked out, they include a meeting with the monarch.

“Yes, yes, I mean, he has to see the head of state,” Mr. Johnson said. “Putting his foot on British soil, it’s Job 1, it’s very important, very symbolic. Meeting Her Majesty is the most important thing, because she’s the head of state, and from then on, it’ll be what the president wants to do.”

Mr. Trump is said to have described his mother, a native of Scotland, as a “big fan” of the queen, according to The Sunday Times of London.

NYTimes