Trump endorses Charles III's alleged plan to invite US to Commonwealth
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The British Commonwealth, also known as the Commonwealth of Nations, is a political association of 56 member states, most of which were former territories of the British Empire.
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Britain's King Charles III waves as he arrives for a visit to University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre in London on April 30, 2024. (AP)
US President Donald Trump voiced acceptance on Friday for reported plans by UK King Charles III to offer the United States “associate membership” to join the Commonwealth of Nations, generally known as the British Commonwealth.
The offer from Charles III, first reported by the Daily Mail, would be formally extended during the planned state visit by Trump to the United Kingdom, in what could possibly alleviate tensions between the US and Canada, after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer delivered a hand-written invitation from the King to the US president during a visit to the White House last month.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, while sharing an article referencing the unprecedented offer, Trump wrote: “I Love King Charles. Sounds good to me!”
The Commonwealth of Nations is an organization of more than 50 countries, the most of which are former British colonies, that have strong links owing to their usage of the English language and common history. The UK monarch of the United Kingdom heads the Commonwealth.
A member of the Royal Commonwealth Society told the Mail that the possibility of America making entry into the Commonwealth is “being discussed at the highest levels” as “a wonderful move that would symbolize Britain's close relationship with the U.S.”
“Donald Trump loves Britain and has great respect for the Royal Family, so we believe he would see the benefits of this. Associate membership could, hopefully, be followed by full membership, making the Commonwealth even more important as a global organization,” the person added.
Some see America joining the Commonwealth, even as an associate member, as an opportunity for the King to smooth over tensions between Washington, London, and Ottawa, which erupted over Trump’s repeated remarks about making Canada, a Commonwealth founding member and one of the 15 nations that still counts the King as head of state, the 51st American state followed by the trade war Trump is attempting to use as leverage in his quest.
If membership is offered and accepted, no longer would America send an ambassador to the Court of St James as it has done since John Adams presented his credentials to King George III in June 1785. Washington’s emissary to Ottawa would no longer be an ambassador, either, and neither would the top diplomats sent by the UK or Canada to the US. That’s because Commonwealth nations appoint “high commissioners” to represent each other’s interests in their respective capitals.
The 56-member bloc has roots in the post-Second World War era when the U.K. began divesting itself of its massive colonial empire. And Canada, the subject of current tensions with the US, was the first member.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent.
