Donald Trump has long been a fan of the British Royal Family, having expressed his admiration for Queen Elizabeth, King Charles and Prince William over the years. The U.S. president has met The King on a number of occasions in the past two decades and has been personally invited by the monarch to return for a state visit to the U.K. in the near future. But according to the Daily Mail, King Charles could make a very interesting proposition to President Trump—and it would change the global political stage.
According to columnist Richard Eden, "plans are being made for the USA to become the next 'associate member' of the Commonwealth." The Commonwealth of Nations—of which The King serves as head—is a group of 56 independent member countries that promotes peace, development and prosperity. Interestingly, Queen Elizabeth is said to have originally supported the idea during Trump's first time in office, but the plan "did not come to fruition."
Eden writes that "proposals were made by the Royal Commonwealth Society" at that time and have now "been revived, with members of the society hopeful that The King will make the case to Trump when he meets him."
"This is being discussed at the highest levels," one member told the journalist this week, adding, "It would be a wonderful move that would symbolize Britain's close relationship with the U.S."
Although many of the countries are former members of the British Empire, Eden noted that the most recent nations who joined the organization—Mozambique, Rwanda, Togo and Gabon—"have no links with the British Empire, underlining the Commonwealth's role as a voluntary organization of independent and equal states."
Of course, with the United States having fought for independence from Britain centuries ago, the ceremonial role of the British monarch would be politically problematic. However, U.S. independence is not an "impediment to its becoming the 57th member of the group," Eden noted.
"Donald Trump loves Britain and has great respect for the Royal Family, so we believe he would see the benefits of this," a Royal Commonwealth Society member told Eden. "Associate membership could, hopefully, be followed by full membership, making the Commonwealth even more important as a global organization."
Given the current tensions between the United States and Canada, the source added, "The Commonwealth is also a great forum for resolving differences between nations, and the King has shown that he is a natural peacemaker."
The Royal Family celebrated Commonwealth Day on March 10, with The King delivering a rather meaningful message considering the reported plan. "In these uncertain times, where it is all too easy to believe that our differences are problems instead of a source of strength and an opportunity for learning, the Commonwealth's remarkable collection of nations and peoples come together in the spirit of support and, crucially, friendship," King Charles said.
