Nearly half of voters say King Charles III should abandon his state visit to the US next week, exclusive polling for The i Paper reveals.
Ahead of the King’s first visit to the US as monarch, which will mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, 44 per cent of those who responded to the survey said the head of state should not press ahead.
By contrast, 35 per cent were in favour while 21 per cent said they were unsure, according to polling conducted by Merlin Strategy.
The trip has been mired in tensions between the US and UK over the Iran war. Sir Keir Starmer has expressed public frustration with the White House, while Chancellor Rachel Reeves used a recent trip to Washington to dub Trump’s actions a “folly.”
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Can you learn to love pigeons? A much-unloved animal in the UK
Features writer Kasia Delgado went on a safari to see if she
could look past their rat-like nature
The tour guide
People think pigeons are stupid but lots of studies have shown them to have amazing memories, that they can identify people by their facial features, and they have an extraordinary sense of direction.
Florence Wilkinson, author of Wild City: Encounters with Urban Wildlife, took Kasia on a tour.
Positives of pigeons
War heroes
During the Second World War, carrier pigeons were routinely used to send messages, and they saved thousands of lives.
Homing ability
Scientists have put them in blacked-out vans and put miniature goggles on them to blur their vision and still the pigeons manage to return home.
The Dove family
We think of them as all grey, but they vary in shades, and some of them are quite amazingly coloured, says Florence.
Kasia’s feeding test
As I gingerly chuck some seed, wincing slightly, 15 or so flap their wings at me. I wouldn’t say I feel content or relaxed but I don’t hate it as much as I thought I would.
I can see they’re not going to do me harm and after all, they’re just enjoying some free food.
A common myth?
Disease carriers
Research has found that between 1941 and 2004, there were only 207 reports worldwide of pathogens transmitted from pigeons to humans.
Not all walks are
created equal
Read on to find out how to supercharge yours into an unbeatable health-builder
How to supercharge your walk
Get a bit breathless
All walking paces are linked with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease but there are additional gains made by those who walk at a moderate-to-vigorous intensity.
Walk uphill
Try to find varying inclines to increase energy and muscle burn.
Add weights
The extra resistance challenges your heart to work harder, increasing cardiovascular fitness.
How to supercharge your walk
Uneven ground
Mountainous and uneven terrain work your stabilising muscles harder, increasing the difficulty and output from your walk.
Go Nordic
Using poles engages the arms as well as the legs and core, turning walking into a full-body workout.
A walk is beneficial at any time of day, but after eating could be best. Research has found that 10- to 30-minute walks taken 10 to 30 minutes after a meal can reduce the peak blood-sugar measurements reached.
Slower and lower blood sugar throughout the day reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
How to supercharge your walk
Go green
Walking in nature has more psychological benefits than concrete. It’s shown to significantly reduce anxiety and depression.
Improve your posture
Staying tall through the spine, open your chest and keep your eyes forward (not leaning over on your phone..).
Meet outside
Walking is a good time to have conversations, whether with your boss or a friend.
Mistakes to avoid
1Focusing on step count – most research suggests that benefits plateau at 7,000 steps a day.
2Using ankle weights – they can tug at the hip flexors and the knees.
3 Doing one-and-done – just hiking for three hours on the weekend, and nothing throughout the week, means you’re missing out on benefits.
4Thinking it’s not a workout – walking packs in cardio and brain-boosting effects without the recovery time of intense exercise.
Eight million people in the UK are living with heart or circulatory disease
And while chest pain is a well-known symptom, there are more subtle signs you should be aware of too.
Overlooked signs of heart disease
Dizziness and fainting
An abnormal heart rhythm can cause a dizzy feeling. While much dizziness is not serious, it can be associated with life-threatening complications.
Increased breathlessness
This breathlessness could be due to blockages and reduced blood flow in the arteries.
Swollen ankles
Unusual swelling can indicate a problem with the body’s circulatory system and kidneys.
Worsening fatigue
Ongoing and worsening fatigue can indicate an underlying health issue, and it could be a sign that your heart isn’t working as effectively as it should be. If persistent fatigue is impacting you day-to-day, the best thing to do is speak with your doctor.
Ruth Goss, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation
Overlooked signs of heart disease
Indigestion-type symptoms
Discomfort in the stomach, chest and ribs, or a burning sensation in the chest area, could all be symptoms of heart disease.
Erectile dysfunction
If it’s an ongoing issue, there could be an underlying health problem, including atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries), diabetes or high blood pressure.
Emotional detachment is a key life skill
Read on to find out how to embrace it, from GP Dr Radha
Healthy detachment
[Detachment] is not selfish – we can still care and empathise. We don’t avoid, we just balance and respond rather than react because we are not too invested in the outcome. This is very different from emotional numbing, which often happens after trauma.
dr Radha Modgil
When we need detachment
Toxic friendships
When you feel that an interaction brings out the worst in you, or that you are having to watch everything you say or do.
Dysfunctional families
Healthy detachment is helpful when we become overly invested in trying to control or fix someone.
Work issues
It’s helpful in situations you are not in control of and helps you leave work behind at 5pm.
How to start it
Examine your beliefs
You may have been conditioned to think that it is your responsibility to fix everything. Is this a fact or based on old patterns?
Look at the impact
Consider what negative impact your “fixing” has; it can keep situations stuck, or infantilise others from growing up.
Which problems are in your control?
Understanding what problems are ours to hold and which aren’t can help avoid emotional burnout.
How to maintain it
Firm boundaries
This means understanding your sense of self, what is yours and what is not and sticking to it.
Self-care
Recognise and look after your own energy levels, mental health and your need to live your own life.
Be objective
Try to have a factual, calm, rational attitude in moments of conflict. This includes trying to release the need to control.
I spent a week in the world’s happiest country
Here are the five ways I
brought Finnish culture back to the UK.
Sauna, sauna, sauna
A regular Finnish sauna boasts a wealth of health benefits: improved cardiovascular health, reduced blood pressure, lower risk of heart disease, stroke and dementia.
In Finnish culture, the sauna is available for everyone: it’s the great equaliser and forms a gently ritualistic part of the day.
Immerse yourself in nature
It is enshrined in Finnish law that anyone living in or visiting Finland has the freedom to roam the countryside, forage, fish, ski, or camp temporarily.
70 per cent of Finland is forest and they have an estimated 180,000 lakes, of which Lake Saimaa (the one I visited) is the largest.
It plays into the Finns’ love of solitude: having space to think. I have found myself not only treasuring the greenery I can find in London.
Eastl local and drink coffee
Finnish diet
Diets are rich in oily fish and local produce: whole grains, Arctic berries, dairy, wild mushrooms, and game like reindeer.
Coffee
The Finns are the number one coffee drinkers in the world. This is both a social ritual and a historic legacy.
I’m cherishing my coffee breaks that bit more, as well as enjoying smoked fish and pickles for lunch
Have fun
Play is embedded from early childhood, as it is seen as a fundamental pillar of development. For every 45-minute lesson, children enjoy unstructured play for 15 mins.
While adults don’t get the same level of structured play, hobbies and a clear demarcation between work and life ensure adults retain a sense of leisure. Every year in July, businesses slow down.
Do not take the good for granted
Finns actively remember not only their suffering through the war, but the fact that the peace they enjoy requires constant maintenance.
Greenwich Park (Photo: AP Photo/Joanna Chan)
Since my visit, I am actively appreciating things like London’s public transport system, or the number of parks my dog can run in. We are fools if we take it for granted.
Inflammation can be harmful.
But it is possible to lower it through lifestyle changes.
We asked the experts the habits you can instill to reduce levels.
Dietary changes
Fruit and veg
Research suggests high intakes of fruit and vegetables are linked with lower inflammatory markers, says dietitican Sammie Gill.
Healthy fats
Omega-3 fatty acids from oily fish, nuts, seeds and olive oil are all beneficial in fighting inflammation.
Established diets
Certain patterns, like the Mediterranean diet, can help control long-term inflammation.
What to use and what to avoid
Use turmeric and black pepper
Herbs and spices are an easy way of adding anti-inflammatory plant compounds to your diet.
Drink green tea
Keeping hydrated by drinking enough water helps your body function, and herbal teas can have added benefits.
Eat blueberries
Women eating a handful of blueberries a day can help lower their high blood pressure.
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Regularly, not randomly
“The key is consistency, even light, regular activity is better than long, intense workouts once in a while,” says Dr Maz Mwambazi, a GP.
Yoga
Building muscle through weight lifting can help, as can mind-body practices like yoga, which combine physical postures, breathing, and meditation.
Prioritise fun
Chronic stress can contribute to inflammation, says Dr Rangan Chatterjee – so partake in activities which help you manage or reduce your stress levels.
Finding a hobby you enjoy, spending time in nature and spending time connecting with friends and family have all been shown to reduce stress.
Donald Trump has likewise not held back in his expressing anger that the UK has not helped in his attack on Iran – restricting use of airbases to defence purposes only – describing the Prime Minister as “no Winston Churchill”.
Unlikely bedfellows who have known each other for 40 years
The US President’s views on religion, including a now-deleted social media post comparing himself to Jesus Christ, may be a matter of concern to the King, who is head of the Church of England. As could criticism of the UK military – the monarch is also Commander-in-Chief of the UK Armed Forces.
Charles is set to visit Washington DC, in what will be the first UK state visit to the US since Queen Elizabeth II’s visit in 2007. He will enjoy “a beautiful Banquet Dinner at the White House on the evening of April 28th,” according to Trump. He is also expected to address Congress before visiting Bermuda on his way home.
It is hoped the King, who has known Trump for 40 years, will be able to repair the strained “special relationship”. On Thursday, the President said this could “absolutely” be the case.
The King and Trump make unlikely bedfellows. Trump has little time for environmentalism, holistic medicine or architecture, unless it’s showing off plans for his new ballroom at the White House. Even so, with political ties frayed, using Trump’s fondness for the Royal Family is one of the few cards the UK has to play.
The King can also draw on decades of his friendship with Trump to mend fences in the special relationship, according to royal insiders.
The two men first met in 1988 over tea at Mar-a-Lago, while the then prince of Wales was in Florida for a polo tournament. After their meeting, the businessman described the prince as a “wonderful man”.
In fact, there are suggestions that Trump’s admiration for Charles dates back even further. In August 1981, shortly after his wedding to Diana, the New York Post reported on speculation that the royal couple were interested in buying a £2.5m apartment in Trump Tower, which was at the time under construction.
While the stories were denied by Buckingham Palace, the reporting suggested the then 35-year-old property developer was already developing a keen interest in the prince as far back as 45 years ago.
Diplomatic sources said the state visit is being carried out on behalf of the Government with an important task of improving relations that last beyond whoever is currently in office on either side of the Atlantic.
“Of course he should go despite the current difficulties,” a diplomatic source told The i Paper. “This is about so much more than the current residents of the White House and No 10. It’s about the relationship between the UK and America herself.”
When Trump was asked if the King’s visit could help repair relations, Trump told the BBC: “He’s fantastic. He’s a fantastic man. Absolutely the answer is yes.”
But Trump later went on to criticise the King’s son, Prince Harry, after he said America should keep to its promise to protect Ukraine when the country had agreed to give up its nuclear weapons.
“Prince Harry is not speaking for the UK, that’s for sure,” Trump said. The King is not expected to see his estranged son while visiting the US.
Shadow of Andrew’s Epstein links will hover over trip
What is designed as a ceremonial visit, however, risks becoming a test of the monarchy’s willingness to confront one of the Royal Family’s most persistent controversies: the association of the King’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor with the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein survivor Virgina Giuffre wrote in her memoir that she was forced to have sexual encounters with Andrew as a teenager. The former prince denies any wrongdoing.
On Friday, allegations concerning Epstein resurfaced when a BBC investigation found Epstein housed women he allegedly abused in several London flats in the years after London’s Metropolitan Police decided not to investigate him, despite a complaint from Giuffre.
Calls for the King and Queen Camilla to meet survivors of the sex offender have only grown from both sides of the Atlantic. The i Paper’s survey found 42 per cent of Britons say the King should meet victims of Epstein, while 34 per cent say he should not. 24 per cent are unsure.
However, the King’s constitutional position as head of state would also make a meeting impossible while there are ongoing UK police investigations, royal insiders indicated.
Camilla has been a longstanding campaigner against domestic abuse and violence against women and girls, including talking about her own experience of an assault. She is expected to meet representatives of groups campaigning against domestic abuse and violence against women.
In Washington DC, the King and Queen will attend a tea party, a garden party and a ceremonial military review. The King and Trump will hold a private meeting.
King ‘will be prepared’
Royal experts say that King Charles will be able to deflect any contorverises.
“I think you have to accept that Donald Trump will say something that will put King Charles in an awkward position but you can plan for that and mitigate the risk,” said Evie Aspinall, director of the British Foreign Policy Group think tank, listing the likely topics as Iran, NATO, and trade tariffs.
“He will be well prepared with some diplomatic lines and leaning into that disarming charm and humour. People respond to the gravity of the Royal Family. I think he’ll be leaning into that too.
“There’s a reason why the Royal Family has endured for so long and that’s because they are trained from an early age in the art of diplomacy and how to handle these situations.+”
One former senior royal aide said: “There’s no better person in these types of situations. The King has been doing this for more than 50 years. He will listen to advice but he doesn’t need anyone to tell him what to do.”
In New York, engagements will include visits to the 9/11 Memorial, where the King and Queen will meet emergency workers, and attend a community project in Harlem, a literacy event marking Winnie the Pooh’s centenary, a business event, and a glamorous reception.
In Virginia, the King will visit a national park, encounter Appalachian culture, and meet indigenous people. There will be a community party celebrating the 250th anniversary of US independence.
Starmer has won plaudits at home for his distance from Trump over the Iran war. According to the poll, the Prime Minister is just about in the lead over his political rivals when respondents were asked who is best placed to represent Britain on the world stage.
Starmer, at 23 per cent, only narrowly leads Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage, at 21 per cent, on who would be best. Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch is just behind on 19 per cent.
Merlin Strategy polled 1,049 respondents on April 17.