Calls for King Charles to Cancel US Trip Follow Greenland Tariffs Threat

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Newsweek

Published Jan 18, 2026 at 07:49 PM EST


Some British members of parliament (MPs) have urged King Charles III to cancel his reported state visit to the United States that is planned for April if President Donald Trump does not back off from his threats to place tariffs on nations who oppose his push to obtain Greenland.

"The UK must not be a doormat for an extortionist, or reward Trump’s behavior with the pageantry he craves," Liberal Democrats leader and MP for Kingston & Surbiton Ed Davey wrote on X on Sunday. Newsweek reached out to the Royal Family by email outside of normal business hours on Sunday evening for comment.

Why It Matters

Trump has made clear throughout the first year of his second administration that he believes the U.S. needs to acquire Greenland, the world's largest island and a semi-autonomous territory that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, for national security purposes.

On Saturday, Trump declared that eight European countries—Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland—would be subjected to a 10 percent tariff on February 1 if they opposed the U.S. on acquiring the island, with penalties set to rise to 25 percent by June 1, unless a purchase agreement was reached.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/king-charles-cancel-us-trip-greenland-tariffs-threat-11379421

[twodogsbarking]

1. Lest you forget. It is 2025 and there are still kings. Lunacy.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

4. God how some love their royals!😵‍💫

[Bengus81]

5. Show Kings that were neutered from being authoritarian hundreds of years ago

They keep it that was for show,tourism and a representative of merry ole' England

[twodogsbarking]

7. We Have The Rockettes

[progressoid]

8. 2026 even.

[twodogsbarking]

9. Got me. The first time I wrote the new year I put down 2036. It's Wednesday and I don't know what the hell is going on.

[Wednesdays]

15. ...

[progressoid]

17. Heck, I have to check my phone calendar every day to see what's going on.

[paleotn]

13. According to some Brits, the royals are a revenue + operation.

Whether that's true or not, I don't know, but supposedly the royals generate more Pound Sterling for the Exchequer than they cost.

As long as it's not too much of a burden on taxpayers, let them have their tradition. After all, Charles can trace his line back to William the Conqueror. Through Henry I and Matilda of Scotland all the way back to Alfred the Great. It's not hard to appreciate that.

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. It is, however, a long time since a British head of state threatened to attack allies for their own gratification

In most threads, pointing out the absurdity of a monarch would be an important point. When the subject is an elected president being a complete lunatic without pushback from the legislative assembly, not so much.

[Miguelito Loveless]

2. It will be interesting to see if a "King"

will bow to Trump.

[paleotn]

11. Real king shouldn't even think of it.

Chuck III can trace his line all the way back to William the Conjurer. Donnie's goes back to a German pimp and draft dodger.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Starmer has already said he won't suggest that, because it's not "pragmatic" or "in the national interest"

"I'm focused on the pragmatic response here, not the suggestion of others, and my focus is what's in the national interest for our country, what is going to best protect workers, families, businesses."

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220949720#post3

He didn't, in the entire press conference, actually say there was anything he would do, apart from talk.

[mwmisses4289]

6. It ultimately may be up to the king to decide.

As I understand, he is in somewhat fragile health, and travel and public appearance could be curtailed because of that.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. Yeah, I had been thinking he could use that as an excuse

In fact, he actually increased his public appearances, going past his sister Anne to the number one spot:

But this year, Princess Anne has dropped to second place, though she was out and about even more in 2025, according to the list published by The Daily Mirror. The article, by Russell Myers and Jennifer Newton, based on Treble’s research with data up until December 18th, reveals that although the 75-year-old had 478 engagements, she was outpaced by her brother, 77-year-old King Charles. He carried out 532 official acts, netting him this crown in addition to that other one. [On the list published on December 31st by Treble, the total number adds to 533, as the King conducted one more engagement on December 19th].

That uptick in activity can be viewed as a sign that his health is indeed improving, a theory bolstered by an announcement the king made earlier this month. “Thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention, and adherence to doctors’ orders, my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year,” the king said in a prerecorded message that aired as part of Stand Up to Cancer’s 2025 broadcast on the UK network Channel 4. “This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years.”

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/king-charles-princess-anne-kate-middleton-hardest-working-royals

So it probably wouldn't seem a very believable excuse ("sorry, I'm washing my hair that week" ). While that would make it funnier, it also, realistically, makes it less likely he'd use it.

[paleotn]

12. Starmer, it's going to get bad for the UK's national interests no matter what you do,

..so might as well start moving towards the right side of history now. Canada has. Nearly all of the EU has. You can to. Find some damn backbone.

[twodogsbarking]

10. Charles looks extremely annoying.