President Donald Trump was fantasizing about living in Buckingham Palace on Tuesday ahead of King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s return to the White House as part of their state visit.
The president, 79, took to Truth Social to share a Daily Mail article that indicated he was a distant cousin of the royal family on his mother’s side. Trump’s mother, whose maiden name was MacLeod, was born in Scotland before immigrating to the U.S. in 1930.
“Wow, that’s nice. I’ve always wanted to live in Buckingham Palace!!! I’ll talk to the King and Queen about this in a few minutes!!!” Trump wrote with a screenshot of the article titled, “REVEALED: How the Mail traced Trump’s family tree and found out he’s the King’s cousin!”
It shows King Charles III and Trump share a common ancestor, John Stuart, dating back to the 1500s, according to the article. Stuart, the Earl of Lennox, lived from 1490 to 1526.
Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the royals. Trump visited it in 2019 during his first term for a reception marking the 70th anniversary of NATO, where he was hosted by Queen Elizabeth II.
The palace has its own ballroom, the largest of its state rooms, which was completed during Queen Victoria’s reign in 1855.
During Trump’s second state visit to the UK last September, he was hosted at Windsor Castle.
The president’s post touting his lineage and wanting to live there comes as the British royal couple is on day two of their state visit. Charles and Queen Camila arrived in Washington, D.C. yesterday, where they were welcomed to the White House by Trump and First Lady Melania for tea.
The president has long had an affinity for the royal family and has repeatedly referred to the king as a “friend.” Ahead of the visit, Trump said he was looking forward to it.
After arriving in Washington and sitting down with the Trumps for tea, Charles and Camilla also attended a garden party at the British Embassy, with 600 British and American guests.
But much of the activity is taking place on Tuesday. The president and first lady are welcoming King Charles and Camilla back at the White House, where a formal arrival ceremony is taking place first.
There will be an official gift exchange and guestbook signing this morning before the Trumps join the greeting line with official delegations.
Later in the morning, Trump and Charles will sit down for a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office while Melania and Camilla meet with students.
The pomp-and-circumstance-filled gathering is being held as part of the U.S. marking the 250th anniversary of its independence. While the countries are close allies, the relationship between the UK and the U.S. remains fragile at this time.
The king is supposed to be above politics, but Trump has repeatedly gone after the British government and its Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, for not supporting his war in Iran. There is also tension over trade and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
On Tuesday afternoon, Charles will also address a joint session of Congress, making him only the second British monarch to do so after his mother Queen Elizabeth II addressed Congress in 1991.
According to the BBC, Charles is expected to call for “reconciliation and renewal” during his much-anticipated speech, a sharp contrast to the president’s combative behavior since returning to office and escalating feuds around the globe.
