MADRID, February 27 (EUROPA PRESS) –

King Charles III this Monday received the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, as part of his visit to the United Kingdom to announce an agreement with the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, on the protocol for Northern Ireland.

“The King is pleased to meet any world leader visiting the UK and it is the government’s suggestion that he do so,” a Buckingham Palace spokesman said, as reported by British television channel BBC.

Afterwards, Downing Street emphasized that the king’s decision to meet with Von der Leyen was “fundamentally” up to Buckingham Palace and added that Prime Minister Sunak “firmly believes this decision is up to the king.”

“It is not uncommon for His Majesty to receive invitations to meet with certain leaders,” he said, after recalling the recent audiences Charles III had with the respective presidents of Poland and Ukraine, Andrzej Duda and Volodimir Zelenski.

Both the Royal House and the British Government responded to criticism of Von der Leyen’s reception by the monarchy, especially those from the most difficult sector of ‘Brexiteers’, who considered that Carlos III was involved in divisive political matters. .

“It is surprising that the King received Ursula von der Leyen today because she is defending a position contrary to that of the prime minister. From a constitutional point of view it is also unwise to involve the King in a controversial political issue,” former minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said before the game.

Another ‘brexiteer’ leader, Jacqueline Foster, also criticized the reception. “I cannot believe that Number 10 (Downing Street) has asked His Majesty the King to be involved in finalizing such a controversial deal,” he said. “This is harsh and will feel very bad in Northern Ireland. We have to remember that this is not the decision of the King, but of the Government, which seems completely deaf,” he added.

A spokesman for the European Commission, Dana Spinant, stressed before the agreement was reached that the meeting was “not part of the process.”