The Royal Navy is in talks to send an aircraft carrier to US Independence Day celebrations in New York, according to multiple reports. Labour is considering sending the 65,000-ton HMS Prince of Wales to join the event on July 4, which will mark 250 years since America defeated Britain in 1776. The prospect of a Royal Navy presence at the Independence Day celebrations in New York has sparked anger in some military circles. According to Daily Mail - Home, one source described the idea as humiliating, questioning why the UK should send a carrier to an event marking Britain's defeat for a president who has mocked its ships. Downing Street is yet to make a final decision on whether the 920ft-long HMS Prince of Wales will make the journey across the Atlantic in July, and it remains unknown whether other Royal Navy vessels are being considered for the event.
Donald Trump has repeatedly insulted the prized naval vessel, along with the £3.2billion HMS Queen Elizabeth, branding them as 'old and broken down'. Trump took aim at the UK's aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, at a White House Cabinet meeting at the end of last month. According to reports, Trump criticized the UK's aircraft carriers as inferior to US ones and questioned their utility. The US President has decried Sir Keir as 'no Churchill' who made 'a big mistake' in not rushing to support the US-Israeli onslaught. Sir Keir previously accused Trump of badmouthing him and Britain's naval capabilities in public in an attempt to drag the UK into the war against Iran. According to Daily Mail - Home, Sir Keir Starmer described Trump's actions as pressure tactics that would not make him waver from his principles.
This just feels humiliating. Why should we send the carrier to join an event marking the defeat of Britain, for a president who has called us cowards and mocked our ships?
Tensions between the US President and Sir Keir Starmer have increased in recent weeks over the UK's refusal to join the conflict he launched in the Middle East. The rift has left the transatlantic 'special relationship' at its lowest ebb in decades. Despite Trump's insults, King Charles is still planning to travel to the US next month for his first state visit, though the specific date and details of this visit have not been confirmed.
Operational considerations add complexity to the potential deployment. The ship is already down to take part in a NATO exercise in the Arctic circle and surrounding areas in the coming weeks, but the exact nature and timeline of this exercise remain unclear. According to Daily Mail - Home, a Navy source described that no final decision has been made on the carrier's activities, with conversations ongoing and the decision resting with the secretary of state. Whether HMS Prince of Wales will ultimately be sent to the US Independence Day celebrations is still undetermined, and the full extent of the anger in military circles regarding this potential deployment has not been fully detailed.
No final decision has been made. All these conversations are still taking place. But it will be up to the secretary of state to make the decision on what the ship may or may not do.
I think I understand what's happening, it's to put pressure on me in different ways. But, that pressure isn't going to make me waver. It's not going to make me abandon my principles or values, and that's just the way I am. That is not new. That isn't because of President Trump. I've got core values and principles I've held all my life, and they're irreducible.
Now they all want to help. When they're annihilated, the other side is annihilated, they said, 'we'd love to send ships'... We had the UK say that 'we'll send' – this is three weeks ago – 'we'll send our aircraft carriers', which aren't the best aircraft carriers, by the way. They're toys compared to what we have.