Donald Trump 'broke protocol' during state dinner following 'flabbergasting' remark

President Donald Trump has been criticised for breaching protocol during King Charles and Queen Camilla 's state visit to the United States following a controversial remark at a state dinner. The King is touring the US ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations, amid ongoing questions over the strength of the so-called “special relationship” between the UK and US. At a state dinner earlier this week, both the King and Trump delivered speeches. During his remarks, Trump suggested the monarch supported his position on Iran . Referring to the country, he said: “We have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we're never going to let that opponent ever - Charles agrees with me even more than I do - we're never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon.” The comment sparked criticism, with some arguing it risked undermining the monarch’s expected political neutrality and prompted Buckingham Palace to respond. Speaking to The i, a royal source said: “He went off script. I was flabbergasted that he said that... It was very poor form to put the King in that situation.” A Palace spokesperson later said: “The King is naturally mindful of his Government's long-standing and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation.” The exchange has raised questions over whether it could affect the success of the state visit or draw the monarch further into geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, reports the Express . In response, BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale suggested the incident was unlikely to have lasting consequences. Writing for the BBC, he said: "“If the King did express this view, he may only have been reflecting the longstanding position of his current and past governments which have all sought - along with allies - to stop Iran developing nuclear weapons. “Supporting that policy, largely through diplomacy and economic sanctions, is not the same as endorsing what some consider to be an illegal and ill-conceived war on the Islamic republic.” Tensions around the visit come as Trump has criticised allies, including the UK, for not joining US military action against Iran, a conflict that has contributed to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking to the BBC after the King’s address — widely regarded as a success — former Middle East adviser Brett McGurk downplayed its immediate impact. He said that while Britain retains significant soft power, its limited hard power — particularly in deployable military capability — remains a constraint, though one that could be addressed to strengthen relations with Washington. He said: "If the King's speech could actually translate into some shared interests and burden sharing, there is an opportunity. If you look at what's happening with Ukraine , we really need the Brits - and their Navy with us in the Strait of Hormuz."