Trump and King Charles’s clashing climate views are one schism the royal touch can’t heal

Of the many clashes in worldview between King Charles III and Donald Trump, the greatest is on an issue the White House has sought to silence: the future of the planet. For more than 50 years, as the Prince of Wales, the environmentally minded Charles spoke out frequently, addressing UN summits and closed gatherings alike, to urge better guardianship of nature and strong action on the climate. The royal visit to Washington will be no exception. The Guardian understands the king will not be silent on green issues, despite concerns within the government, and sources say the king is likely to touch on the environment in public as well as private. Civil society groups have been in touch with the palace over the potential inclusion of references to the climate and nature in the king’s speech to Congress on Tuesday afternoon. Charles’s advocacy has never faced a more obdurate listener. Trump has all but declared war on the climate and nature, withdrawing the US from international climate agreements, halting progress on renewable energy and boosting coal , while opening drilling on public lands , cutting nature protection , bullying other countries who want climate action , sacking scientists and erasing mention of the climate from government communications. There is little common ground between the UK and the US on the climate and environment, and the UK response has been to try to work around the problem in international forums, rather than force a showdown. …