Biden Trip to Belfast Stirs Concerns About New King

President Biden plans to visit Northern Ireland next month to mark the 25th anniversary of a landmark peace agreement there. But his trip is stirring concern in diplomatic circles because Biden will not meet King Charles III, which British and American officials said could be interpreted as a snub, given that he also plans to skip the king’s coronation.

The White House has yet to confirm Biden’s trip to commemorate the Good Friday Agreement, which ended decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.

British and American diplomats with knowledge of the planning said Biden is scheduled to arrive in Belfast, the capital, on April 11, a week before the king and other leaders are scheduled to gather in the city.

Biden will spend a day and a half in Belfast, the officials said, before traveling to the Republic of Ireland for three days to explore his ancestral roots. He will be back in the United States before Charles, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other leaders, including former President Bill Clinton, are expected to gather in Belfast for a formal ceremony to mark the anniversary.

The president’s heavy emphasis on Ireland, plus the lack of a stop in London or a meeting with the king, has raised concerns among diplomats on both sides about the signal it sends one of America’s closest allies. While Charles remains above politics, he is the head of state, and his coronation is expected to draw a parade of world leaders.