Rod Stewart lavished praise on King Charles III during a King's Trust event at London's Royal Albert Hall on Monday, commending the monarch for his handling of what the singer called a 'little ratbag' during the king's recent state visit to the United States.
Stewart's Remarks
According to video footage captured by Sky News, Stewart told the king: 'May I say, well done in the Americas. You were superb, absolutely superb; you put that little ratbag in his place.' King Charles appeared to laugh in response to the comment.
Many news outlets have interpreted Stewart's remark as a reference to President Donald Trump, whom Charles met during his visit to Washington, D.C. HuffPost has reached out to representatives for Stewart for clarification.
The State Visit
King Charles and Queen Camilla's state visit to the United States included a meeting with Trump at the White House and an address to Congress. During a state dinner, Charles made a lighthearted jab at Trump, referencing Trump's earlier comment that without American help in World War II, Europeans would be speaking German. Charles retorted: 'Dare I say that, if it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking French!'
Stewart's Changing View of Trump
Politico Europe noted that Stewart's once-friendly relationship with Trump has soured. In a 2025 Radio Times interview, the 'Maggie May' singer said: 'I'm not a great fan of Trump. I knew him very, very well. I used to go to his house. I live literally half a mile away [in Florida] ... We're both on the beach. I used to go to his Christmas parties. He's always been a bit of a man's man. I liked him for that. But he didn't, as far as I'm concerned, treat women very well. But since he became president, he became another guy. Somebody I didn't know.'
Stewart's public criticism of Trump marks a significant shift from their past neighborly interactions in Florida.
