Trump recalls his Scottish mother calling young King Charles 'cute'

Donald Trump has recalled his Scottish mother describing King Charles as "cute" during his time as a young prince.

The US president was speaking about his mother Mary's love for the Royal Family during a speech at the White House, which was attended by the King and Queen Camilla on the second day of their US visit.

Trump's mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born and brought up on the Hebridean island of Lewis but emigrated to New York in 1930.

"I remember her saying very clearly 'Charles, look young Charles he is so cute'," Trump said.

He jokingly added: "My mother had a crush on Charles - can you believe it?"

He then pointed his right hand to the sky and said: "I wonder what she is thinking right now".

He added: "My wonderful mother Mary MacLeod, was born in Stornoway, Scotland, the Hebrides. And that is what they call very serious Scotland there is no question about it.

"Some places they say 'was it really Scotland?' Well the Hebrides that is real serious Scotland, that is where they had the greatest of warriors.

"She came to America at 19, met my incredible father - we loved him so much - Fred, and they were married for 63 years."

During the speech, where King Charles laughed but looked slightly embarrassed, Trump also said: "I told the King that she [Donald Trump's mother] loved the Royal Family and she loved the Queen.

"And any time the Queen was involved in a ceremony or anything, my mother would be glued to the television and she would say 'look Donald, look how beautiful that is'.

"She really did love the family."

Mary Anne was born in 1912 in Tong, about three miles from Stornoway, the main town on the isle of Lewis.

She was one of tens of thousands of Scots who travelled to the US and Canada in the early years of the last century looking to escape economic hardship at home.

She left Scotland as a teenager to seek work as a domestic servant.

Six years later she was married to successful property developer Frederick Trump, the son of German migrants and one of the most eligible men in New York.

The president is the fourth of their five children.

Sean Coughlan, the BBC's Royal correspondent, described the Royal visit as a "very significant state visit to the United States and the biggest diplomatic challenge of King Charles's reign".

The relationship between the UK and US has been badly damaged in recent months, with President Trump criticising UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over the UK's unwillingness to get involved in the US war in Iran.

But President Trump still admires the King and the monarchy - and Coughlan said it was that connection that the King would have to use to help repair the battered UK and US partnership.

"State visits are carried out on behalf of the government, and the King will have the tricky, diplomatic balancing act of staying friendly with Trump, while at the same time staying true to his own beliefs and representing the aims of the UK government," he said.