London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 17, 2025

Northern Ireland: King meets EU chief as NI Brexit deal done

Northern Ireland: King meets EU chief as NI Brexit deal done

King Charles has met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for tea at Windsor Castle following the unveiling of a new Northern Ireland Brexit deal.

Buckingham Palace said the meeting had been arranged on the advice of the government.

The pair were pictured shaking hands shortly after the EU head held a joint press conference with Rishi Sunak.

But there were warnings against drawing the monarch into a political dispute.

Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, a Brexiteer and former cabinet minister, said it was "constitutionally unwise to involve the King in a matter of immediate political controversy".

Sammy Wilson, chief whip of the Democratic Unionist Party, said the meeting would risk "dragging the King into a hugely controversial political issue".

But the prime minister's official spokesman likened the meeting with Ms von der Leyen to the King's other recent meetings with visiting international dignitaries such as Polish President Andrzej Duda or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"We don't get into what discussions we have or not had with the palace. But it is standard that the government provides advice to the palace on things like visits and meetings," said the Number 10 spokesman.

However, the No 10 spokesman said the prime minister "firmly believes it's for the King to make those decisions".

A Buckingham Palace source also indicated that the meeting, held in one of the castle's ornate drawing rooms after the deal was announced, followed government advice.

"The King is pleased to meet any world leader if they are visiting Britain and it is the government's advice that he should do so," said a palace spokesman.

Photographs captured the smiles and handshakes of the meeting in the White Drawing Room.

Ursula von der Leyen with PM Rishi Sunak in Windsor on Monday


The EU sought to distance the Windsor meeting from political negotiations, saying the meeting between the King and the European Commission president was "separate" and "not part" of the talks over the Northern Ireland protocol.

Buckingham Palace sources emphasised that this was a regular meeting between the King and a visiting international leader and would build on other previous meetings between the King and Ms von der Leyen.

The King, as head of state, hosts a steady stream of visiting international figures and overseas representatives.

The Windsor Castle meeting, with tea, smiles, handshakes and photographs, was described in terms of a wider agenda by both the palace and the EU chief.

Ms von der Leyen said it had been an honour and a pleasure to meet the King.

"We discussed the joint challenges the EU and UK face as historic partners and our joint duties: Unwavering support for Ukraine and fighting global climate change," she said on Twitter.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
US Prosecutors Gained Legal Approval to Hack Telegram Servers
Macron Faces Intensifying Pressure to Resign or Trigger New Elections Amid France’s Political Turmoil
Standard Chartered Names Roberto Hoornweg as Sole Head of Corporate & Investment Banking
UK Asylum Housing Firm Faces Backlash Over £187 Million Profits and Poor Living Conditions
UK Police Crack Major Gang in Smuggling of up to 40,000 Stolen Phones to China
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Trump Proposes Farm Bailout from Tariff Revenues Amid Backlash from Other Industries
FIFA Accuses Malaysia of Forging Citizenship Documents, Suspends Seven Footballers
×