President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have been busy hosting Britain’s royal couple, King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
The pair arrived in the United States on April 27 and were welcomed with a formal reception. Charles and Camilla are in the U.S. for a four-day visit from April 27 to April 30, covering Washington, New York, and Virginia.
Their busy schedule includes meetings with high-ranking dignitaries, philanthropic events, visits to important sites, and attending one of Trump’s speeches.
Donald Trump shared a surprising anecdote during his meeting with King Charles III at the White House. He shared that his late mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, once had a crush on King Charles III when he was a young prince.
According to Mirror US, Trump spoke on the South Lawn during an outdoor address on the second day of the royal couple’s state visit. He recalled his mother’s fondness for the family.
“I remember her saying very clearly, ‘Charles, look, young Charles, he is so cute,” Trump said. He also added: “My mother had a crush on Charles – can you believe it?” King Charles reportedly responded to the unexpected compliment with an awkward chuckle.
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Donald Trump’s mother, Mary Ann McLeod, was a Scottish-American socialite and the first wife of prominent real estate developer Frederick “Fred” Trump.
Raised in a Gaelic-speaking household, she moved to the United States in 1930 at the age of 19 and became a naturalized citizen in 1942.
Trump further recalled his mother’s deep fondness for the monarchy. He said she closely followed royal ceremonies on television and often expressed fondness for the Queen and the pageantry.
The 79-year-old thought of his late mother and said, “Amazing how, I wonder what she’s thinking right now,” as he looked up and pointed to the sky.
According to the BBC, Donald Trump highlighted parts of his mother Mary Ann McLeod’s life after she moved to New York with the ambition to pursue professional opportunities, despite being born in Tong, a village three miles away from Stornoway, Scotland, in the Hebrides.
“Some places they say, ‘was it really Scotland?’ Well, the Hebrides, that is real serious Scotland, that is where they had the greatest of warriors,” he proudly claimed.
“She came to America at 19, met my incredible father – we loved him so much – Fred, and they were married for 63 years,” he added.
Meanwhile, Trump’s remarks drew backlash online, with some users pointing out the age difference: King Charles, now 77, is two years younger than Trump, who turns 80 on June 14, 2026.
Online users noted Donald Trump’s mother was 36 when Charles was born and 54 when he turned 18. Many slammed Trump for using the reference, calling it “inappropriate”.
“So mama trump had a crush on a little boy? The king is 77….2 years younger than trump,” one X user wrote. “His mother had a crush on someone young enough to be her son. Eww, runs in the family,” another user wrote.
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Furthermore, BBC royal correspondent Sean Coughlan described the King’s upcoming visit to the U.S. as a significant move to strengthen diplomatic ties between the two nations, which have been strained by political differences following the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran under Operation Epic Fury.
“State visits are carried out on behalf of the government, and the King will have the tricky, diplomatic balancing act of staying friendly with Trump, while at the same time staying true to his own beliefs and representing the aims of the UK government,” Coughlan said.
King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit will conclude in Washington, followed by a formal farewell and a wreath-laying ceremony honoring U.S.-UK military ties.
