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Trump state visit plans put queen in ‘difficult position’

LONDON — The British government’s decision to invite US President Donald Trump for a state visit, one of the highest honours it can bestow on a visiting dignitary, has involved Queen Elizabeth II in the passionate debate over Mr Trump’s travel ban.

Demonstrators hold banners during a protest against US President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban on refugees and people from seven mainly-Muslim countries, in Oxford, England on Jan 30, 2017. Photo: AP

Demonstrators hold banners during a protest against US President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban on refugees and people from seven mainly-Muslim countries, in Oxford, England on Jan 30, 2017. Photo: AP

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LONDON — The British government’s decision to invite US President Donald Trump for a state visit, one of the highest honours it can bestow on a visiting dignitary, has involved Queen Elizabeth II in the passionate debate over Mr Trump’s travel ban.

Mr Trump’s provocative decision to deny refugees access to the United States and to make it more difficult for people from seven Muslim-majority countries to visit has been widely denounced by opposition leaders and sparked protests in British cities and campuses, leading some to question the wisdom of the government’s decision.

It is the British government, led by Prime Minister Theresa May, that invites heads of state on the queen’s behalf, but it is the queen who acts as personal hostess. In most cases, that involves lavish pomp and ceremony and a stay of several days at the queen’s official residence, Buckingham Palace.

The prospect of protests outside the palace when Mr Trump comes calling has put the queen in a “very difficult position", said Mr Peter Ricketts, formerly a top official in the Foreign Office.

In a letter to The Times on Tuesday (Jan 31), Mr Ricketts said the “state visit” should be downgraded to a lower level "official visit" to spare the monarch any embarrassment. He said the offer should not have been made in the first days of Mr Trump’s administration.

“It would have been far wiser to wait and see what sort of president he would turn out to be before advising the queen to invite him,” Mr Ricketts said.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the first Muslim elected to that post, has called for the invitation to be rescinded. His office said he will describe Mr Trump's travel ban as "cruel, prejudiced and counterproductive'' at a City Hall diplomatic reception on Tuesday.

State visits are typically offered to foreign monarchs, presidents and prime ministers in ways designed to bolster British diplomacy and economic interests.

The invitation to Mr Trump is part of an effort to strengthen ties with the goal of reaching a beneficial trade agreement with the United States once Britain leaves the European Union.

A state visit is a carefully choreographed event and involves grand pageantry in the heart of London.

The queen and other senior royals greet visitors with a ceremonial welcome, usually on Horse Guards Parade, followed by a carriage procession to the palace. A multi-gun salute is fired from Green Park and the Tower of London, and there is traditionally a formal banquet with roughly 150 guests gathered in the palace ballroom.

The queen opens proceedings with a speech, followed by a formal toast to her guest.

Buckingham Palace officials said the queen would not comment on the state dinner plans. The government says the visit is "months away’’ and that a date has not been chosen.

Ms May said during a joint appearance with Mr Trump on Friday that he would be coming for a state visit at an unspecified date.

Hours later, Mr Trump signed the executive order limiting travel to the United States. Ms May has said she does not agree with the plan, but the government insists the state visit is going forward. AP

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