Donald Trump has made a controversial invitation ahead of the upcoming state banquet hosted by King Charles. The US President will attend Windsor Castle alongside his wife, Melania, during the trip from September 17 to September 19.
It has been confirmed that Trump has also invited Dame Karen Pierce, the former British ambassador to the US, as part of the American delegation. However, the move may be seen as a challenge to the current ambassador, Lord Peter Mandelson, who will be on the British side of the guest list which includes around 160 people.
Lord Mandelson was nominated by Sir Keir Starmer for the role last December before assuming office in February. The move did not go down well with Trump, who hoped Dame Karen would remain in her role well into his second term.
As reported by the Telegraph, she is very close to the US President and remains a popular figure in Washington. On the other hand, Lord Mandelson has been critical of Trump, calling him a danger to the world and “little short of a white nationalist”.
Sir Keir Starmer reportedly failed to tell the White House about his appointment earlier this year. They instead found out about the new ambassador through a leak in the press.
Chris LaCivita, a Trump campaign adviser, said the change replaced a “professional universally respected ambo [ambassador] with an absolute moron”.
Lord Mandelson has since launched a charm offensive in a bid to get in Trump’s good books. The US President praised him as a “good-looking fellow” during his first visit to the White House.
Sir Keir Starmer was reportedly told face-to-face by Trump’s team about Dame Karen being invited to the state banquet. The US President is understood to want to keep her engaged in the relationship between the countries.
A source said: “The president has always seen Karen as one of the UK’s best assets and he’s grown close to her over a number of years so it felt only right that she’d be there alongside Peter for his second state visit.”
Dame Karen was once described as the “fiercely intelligent… champagne-swigging, high-heel-wearing, feather boa-swathed diplomat”. She served as the ambassador to the US from 2020 to February 2025 and was known for her straight-talking approach.
