Britain’s ambassador to Washington has said the only country with which the United States has a “special relationship” is “probably Israel” and not Britain, in leaked comments that could overshadow Charles III’s ongoing state visit to the United States this week.
Christian Turner, who was appointed in February to replace Peter Mandelson, who was sacked over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, spoke privately to a group of British students who visited the United States the same month he was appointed.
“The word ‘special relationship’ is a word that I try not to use often, because it’s very nostalgic, it’s very backwards, and it carries a lot of weight with it,” Turner said in the leaked audio recording. “I think there’s one country that probably has a special relationship with the United States, and that’s probably Israel.”
The recently appointed ambassador’s questioning of the “special relationship” that the British government and monarchy are struggling to restore is a source of embarrassment for Downing Street and could make Prince Charles’ state visit unpleasant. The remarks were first reported by the Financial Times on Tuesday, just before Prince Charles and Queen Camilla were welcomed by US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the White House.
In rare candid comments, Turner also told students he thought it was “unusual” that the Epstein scandal “hasn’t affected anyone” in the United States. By contrast, he said senior British officials, including his predecessor Mr Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, were “devastated” by the incident.
He said the Epstein case raised “interesting questions” about “different levels of accountability in our system.”
Mr Turner said Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision to appoint Mr Mandelson as ambassador had left him “in a bind” for several months. He said Labor could “sack” its embattled leader after local elections in May.
A Foreign Office spokesperson told CNN that Turner’s comments were “private and informal comments” and were not intended to be made public. “They certainly do not reflect the UK government’s position,” the spokesperson said.
Despite disparaging the so-called “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom, Mr Turner said the relationship was nevertheless “strong”.
“There is a deep history and affinity between us. We are particularly connected when it comes to defense and security,” he said.
But the ambassador said Britain and its European neighbors needed to “strive to redefine” their relationship, particularly on defence.
“We Europeans cannot just rely on the security umbrella of the United States. So if we want a special relationship, this relationship will continue, but I think this has to change,” Turner said.
“And my advice to the Prime Minister is, ‘You can’t just put your hands over your ears and say it’s special, it’s okay.’ We need to be really clear about looking at what Britain can bring to the table.”
Mr Turner’s comments mean the Epstein scandal, which the British government and royal family have been trying to avoid during this week’s visit, will once again overshadow the proceedings.
California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, a co-sponsor of a bill that would force the release of millions of Epstein files held at the Justice Department, sought to capitalize on the king’s visit by writing a letter to the king last month asking him to offer face-to-face meetings with Epstein survivors.
But CNN earlier reported that the king and queen have no plans to honor that request during their visit, and that Buckingham Palace is aware such a meeting could impact Britain’s legal investigation into the Mountbatten-Windsor scandal.
CNN has contacted the British Embassy in Washington for comment.
