US President Donald Trump is always putting his foot in it, but sexist comments he made about Diana, the late Princess of Wales, have come back to haunt him ahead of his state visit to the UK.
During an interview with shock disc jockey Howard Stern in 1997 shortly after Diana’s death, Trump announced he had wanted to sleep with the princess and called her “crazy”.
Stern asked the then real estate billionaire who, at that point, was not involved in politics: “Why do people think it’s egotistical of you to say you could’ve gotten Lady Di?
“You could’ve gotten her, right? You could’ve nailed her.”
Trump replied without any hesitation: “I think I could have.”
He went on: “She was actually really beautiful.
“I thought she was supermodel beautiful.
“She had times when she didn’t look great and she had times when she looked better than anyone in the world.
“But she had the height, she had magnificent skin, she was a great beauty. The whole thing. She was crazy, but you know, these are minor details.”
The US President flies into Britain next month where the Queen will host a state banquet for him attended by her grandsons Princes William and Harry.
The two brothers are reported to be unwelcoming of those who tarnish their late mother’s memory and it’s expected Trump’s arrival could be awkward.
Bizarrely, Trump claimed Diana had been attracted to him and outrageously implied that if the Princess had been dating him instead of Dodi Fayed she would not have died in the fatal Paris crash.
He continued: “I know that tunnel in Paris. It’s got, like, a 30-mile limit.
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“If you look at this tunnel – and I really know that tunnel well, I’ve been through that tunnel many times – you can’t go more than like 30, 40 miles.”
However, a friend of the royals, Selina Scott, said Trump’s outlandish claims were wide of the mark and he actually gave the late princess “the creeps”.
She said: “He bombarded Diana with massive bouquets of flowers. She became increasingly concerned. It had begun to feel as if Trump was stalking her.”
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Trump is due to meet Harry for a private lunch on the first day of his state visit while William and Kate are expected to be guests at a banquet with him a few hours later.
The President’s eldest children, Ivanka, Donald Jr and Tiffany are also expected to join him for the trip while his youngest son, 13-year-old Barron, will remain at home.