Buckingham Palace confirms King Charles is 'raising a dram to Donald Trump' following whisky update

Dorothy Reddin
Thu, 30 Apr 2026 21:28:34 +0000

Buckingham Palace has confirmed King Charles is “raising a dram” to Donald Trump following the update that the US President is lifting his whisky tariffs.

On Thursday evening, Mr Trump confirmed he was U-turning on his tariff policy, taking to Truth Social to issue a statement.

In response, a Palace spokesman told GB News: “The King has been informed of President Trump’s warm gesture and sends his sincere gratitude for a decision that will make an important difference to the British whisky industry and the livelihoods it supports.

“His Majesty will be raising a dram to the President’s thoughtfulness and generous hospitality as he departs the US after a most enjoyable State Visit for both Their Majesties in this special anniversary year.”

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This followed Mr Trump's statement, which read: “In Honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom, who have just left the White House, soon headed back to their wonderful Country, I will be removing the Tariffs and Restrictions on Whiskey having to do with Scotland’s ability to work with the Commonwealth of Kentucky on Whiskey and Bourbon, two very important Industries within Scotland and Kentucky.

“People have wanted to do this for a long time, in that there had been great Inter-Country Trade, especially having to do with the Wooden Barrels used.

“The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!

“A wonderful Honor to have them both in the U.S.A.”

The US leader signed the statement in his usual fashion: “President DONALD J. TRUMP”.

President Trump had imposed and threatened tariffs on whisky as part of a broader "America First" economic strategy aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing and reducing trade deficits.

His administration argued that tariffs on imports like Scotch and Irish whiskey would encourage Americans to buy domestically produced goods (like bourbon and rye) rather than overseas products.

In response to Mr Trump's lifting of US tariffs on UK whisky, the UK Business and Trade Secretary, Peter Kyle, issued a statement.

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He said: “This is great news for our scotch whisky industry, which is worth almost £1bn in exports and supports thousands of jobs across the UK.

“I have been advocating for lower tariffs on key exports like whisky, to protect vital jobs and iconic British brands while strengthening our relationship with the US.”

King Charles III is a well-known fan of whisky, specifically Scotch single malts.

His appreciation for the spirit is so significant that he has integrated it into both his personal life and his official duties for decades.

Laphroaig, an Islay single malt, is widely cited as the King's favourite.

In 1994, as Prince of Wales, he granted Laphroaig a Royal Warrant, making it the only single malt distillery to receive such an honour from him.

The King also sells his own branded organic single malt Scotch through the Highgrove Shop, which is produced for his estate.

Mr Trump's praise for the King and Queen on Truth Social comes after his comments to Sky News, where he applauded His Majesty but took a major swipe at Sir Keir Starmer.

“He just left, he's a fantastic guy,” the President said.

Despite praising Their Majesties, the US President criticised the British Government's position on immigration and energy policy.

Referring to King Charles, Mr Trump said: “He's a much different person than your Prime Minister.

“Your Prime Minister has to learn to deal the way he deals, and he'll do a lot better.”