Meghan Markle snubs Trump, will not join Harry when he meets the US president for palace lunch during UK visit
The British royal family is set to welcome President Donald Trump to the UK during his state visit later this year, however, there is one member of the royal family who will be giving the event a miss — Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle.
The Queen will be joined by senior royals when she hosts the American leader and his wife Melania Trump over their three-day trip to the UK beginning on June 3.
The Prince of Wales Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall Camilla will reportedly join the Queen for the official ceremonial welcome being staged in the Buckingham Palace’s garden instead of the usual Horse Guards Parade venue in Whitehall. The change in venue is due to possible security concerns, according to reports.
The Duke of Sussex Harry will be at the private palace lunch held on the first day for the Trump, however, wife Meghan Markle, who is an American, will not be attending the event. The Duchess of Sussex had made her views on the US President quite clear during a 2016 interview for a television show when she described the Republican as "divisive" and "misogynistic."
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, will also join the Queen, Charles and Camilla for the state banquet in the palace's ballroom. The event is set to feature leading figures from the country and prominent Americans in Britain, according to the Metro.
Trump will also have tea with the heir to the throne and his wife during the first day of his visit and, on the second day, he will visit Downing Street for talks with Prime Minister Theresa May, just a few days before she leaves the office. May announced her resignation from the leadership position on Friday.
Reports state that Trump is set to bring his children along with him for the visit, including his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner. The duo are senior advisors to the president. Ivanka's siblings Tiffany, Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump are also set to make the trip.
Prime Minister May, when the state visit was announced in April, hailed Trump's visit as an opportunity for the US and UK to "strengthen our already close relationship", while the White House released a statement saying it would "reaffirm the steadfast and special relationship" between the two nations.
However, Trump's state visit confirmation was slammed by shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry who said that the president had "systematically assaulted all the shared values that unite our two countries."