Prince Andrew Will Reportedly Use ‘Golf Course Diplomacy’ To Ease Political Tension During Trump’s State Visit
Buckingham Palace is coming up with plans to keep Donald Trump busy and away from crowds during his upcoming visit to the United Kingdom, which includes making sure he spends much of his time playing golf with minor Royal Prince Andrew, The Daily Mail reports.
Back during his 2018 U.K. state visit, Trump made a couple of minor (or major, depending on whom you ask) goofs, such as walking in front of Queen Elizabeth instead of a few steps behind her, as custom dictates. Furthermore, crowds of tens of thousands protested Trump’s visit, protests that included the infamous “Baby Trump” balloon that flew over London. Trump was kept largely away from urban areas during that visit, however.
This time, the Palace hopes to minimize opportunities for any diplomatic missteps by keeping Trump on the golf course, which is something he loves anyway. He’ll also be spending most of his time with Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth’s third child who is eighth in line to the throne (after his great-nephew Prince Archie Harrison) and who largely keeps out of the public eye. In fact, the Palace expects that Trump will spend two of the three days of his visit golfing with Prince Andrew.
Why Prince Andrew got down to business in Torontohttps://t.co/R5F7ymeNyr pic.twitter.com/B9b653cQpj
— Klaus Bower (@klsbower) June 2, 2019
The two men go back at least two decades, reportedly having met at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort 20 years ago and having developed something of a friendship since then. Just how deep their purported friendship goes is unclear; The Daily Mail describes them as “well-acquainted.”
Keeping Trump busy golfing with Prince Andrew will minimize the amount of time he’ll spend in the company of Prince Charles, who doesn’t see eye-to-eye with Trump when it comes to climate change, and who has reportedly said that he’s looking forward to a “frank exchange” with Trump about the topic.
One member of the Royal Family won’t be allowed anywhere near Trump when he’s in town: Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex. She will reportedly be staying home with her new baby, Prince Archie, rather than greeting Trump. Officially, the reason for Meghan’s absence is because she has a new baby on her hands, and like all moms of infants, is busy and exhausted. Unofficially, however, the two clearly aren’t seeing eye-to-eye, with Trump having described the Duchess as “nasty” once he learned that she’d said unfavorable things about him.
Meanwhile, 20,000 police officers have been deployed to manage the expected anti-Trump protests around the U.K.’s major cities, at an estimated cost of £18 million ($23 million).
