King complains about Mandelson 'distraction' as Palace prepares for Trump state visit

The Labour peer was sacked by Sir Keir Starmer over his links to notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein last week -before the historic second state visit from Donald Trump beginning on Wednesday.

The King is said to have complained that the scandal is a "distraction" from the diplomatic showpiece.

Palace officials are reported to be "dismayed" that the row has blown up at the time it has.

The King is set to host the US president after being asked to extend the invitation by Sir Keir Starmer in February in a bid to launch a charm offensive upon Trump to lower tariffs on the UK.

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A diplomatic source told the Daily Mail: "The Palace has been grumbling about how unhelpful it all is. Charles regards it as an unwelcome distraction."

The intervention comes after a Downing Street source said that Lord Mandelson was "economical with the truth" when interviewed before his appointment to the Washington posting.

Reports claim that the Prime Minister was given a file about Lord Mandelson’s links to Epstein by the Cabinet Office Propriety and Ethics Team and prepared three questions based on it ahead of his appointment, reports claim.

According to the BBC, Lord Mandelson was asked why he continued contact with Epstein after he was convicted, why he was reported to have stayed in one of the paedophile financier’s homes while he was in prison and whether he was associated with a charity founded by Ghislaine Maxwell that Epstein had backed.

Lord Mandelson says he believes he was truthful about his association with Epstein and that he told No 10 he had not stayed at his apartment while he was in prison in 2009.

But No 10 sources said Lord Mandelson was “economical with the truth” in his answers to the three questions.