King Charles defies criticism over tour to US as war in Middle East rages on

King Charles will visit the United States in April to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States' independence, according to a report.

Buckingham Palace is yet to officially announce the three-day tour, which has generated strong criticism from a section of the public and figures.

They say the war in the Middle East and Trump's war of words against the United Kingdom's Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, will make the trip's timing rocky.

Some of them argued the monarch must delay the tour, if not cancel it. Sir Westmacott is one of them.

"I personally think that at the moment, while this war is continuing, it is problematic. The United States government is conducting a war, which the British government initially thought was clearly illegal," the ex-British ambassador to the US told The Times podcast.

But now a report in The Times claims the visit is set to go ahead from 27 to 29 April.

However, the tour will be apolitical, insisted the report after the relationship between the two allies had strained over the dispute of the ongoing war in Iran.

Moreover, substantial planning over the last six months has been undertaken for the tour.

An insider close to the planners told The Times, “This will be a substantive visit from the King for the American people."

In addition, Charles will also address Congress in a speech to showcase stronger ties between the UK and the US, according to a report.