‘Clear rebuke’: Prince William’s brutal Donald Trump slap down

The Prince of Wales has sent a savage signal to Washington – and US President Donald Trump really won’t be able to ignore it.

OPINION

That banging sound you can hear? That’s the late Queen thumping her walking stick on heaven’s floorboards in miffed displeasure after seeing the latest photos of her grandson Prince William.

Not only has the lad gone and gotten himself a beard, the royal flirting with some stereotypical midlife crisis-ing, but he’s now gone off on an international trip and worn, prepare yourself, a puffer jacket.

Are the shades of Buckingham Palace to be thus polluted?

The prince has been in Estonia this week, there to buck up British troops stationed on the frontline with Russia.

In the capital city of Tallinn on Thursday, the 43-year-old greeted crowds in the sort of warm, green padded number better suited to a mid-July, under-eights’ Saturday soccer game than high-level international diplomacy.

And it wasn’t even casual Friday.

The prince’s Baltic jaunt outwardly looked about as thrilling as watching porridge cool – except for the fact that it was also a nice, sharp “bugger you”, poke-in-the-eye, kick-in-the-painfully-white-teeth of US President Donald Trump.

Prince William takes selfies in THAT puffer jacket with wellwishers ahead of a visit to the Estonian Cleantech Association in Tallinn, Estonia. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The crowd had flocked to catch a glimpse of the prince. Picture: Louis Wood – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Specifically, William was there to visit members of the Mercian Regiment who are part of NATO operations on the Estonian/Russian border, as the UK and Europe bands together in opposition to warmongering, land-grabbing, topless pony club member Vladimir Putin.

Ooh wee, Mr Trump will not be happy.

Prince William and President of Estonia Alar Karis shake hands at the presidential office in Tallinn. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The prince plays basketball at The Freedom School, which was founded by the Ministry of Education and Research of Estonia in May 2022 in response to the war in Ukraine. Picture: Ian Vogler – WPA Pool/Getty Images

The London/Washington/Moscow love triangle has really gotten to the wig-pulling, weave-yanking stage.

Since returning to office in January and harrumphing about why there’s no omelette bar in the West Wing, Mr Trump has gotten busy unravelling decades of longstanding international alliances and begun parroting Mr Putin’s Ukraine talking points like a well-trained galah.

In late February, he laid into Ukrainian President Voldomyr Zelensky in front of cameras in the Oval Office for having the gall to not simply lie back and take it and for “gambling with World War Three” and being “disrespectful”.

Since then, Mr Zelensky has been clearly added to the list of Trump bete noires, which already includes umbrellas, low-flow toilets, sharks, nasty women, kale and basic syntax.

Mr Zelensky has been clearly added to the list of Trump bete noires following their meeting. Picture: Saul Loeb/AFP

Nor is Mr Trump much of a NATO stan, having repeatedly toyed with the idea of leaving the international security pact.

All of this is why William turning up in a) Estonia to do some very nice military posing and hand-shaking with b) NATO forces is a clear rejection of the president and his pro-Moscow proclivities.

It gets worse.

Making the prince’s trip even sourer for Mr Trump? Canada has emerged as one of the president’s biggest antagonists after he threatened to annex the Commonwealth nation.

That puffer the 43-year-old was wearing in Estonia was from Canadian company, Lululemon.

Point William.

That puffer the 43-year-old was wearing in Estonia was from Canadian company, Lululemon. Points to William. Picture: WPA Pool/Getty Images

Poor Mr Trump is probably feeling quite wounded by such turncoat princely behaviour, given he thought they were all chummy-like.

In December, he enthused about the prince after they held a private 40 minute meeting in Paris, saying “Good man, this one. He’s doing a fantastic job”.

Donald Trump met with Prince William at the Embassy of the United Kingdom's Residence on December 7, 2024 in Paris, France. Picture: Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images

Only now, William has gone and sided with a few of Mr Trump’s biggest nemeses and the royal’s Tallinn two-dayer can only be read as a clear rebuke of Washington and The Apprentice star’s bully boy international manipulations.

This William/Estonia outing comes as the royal family finds itself an ever-bigger player in the international Sturm und Drang over Ukraine.

Best friends forever? Hmm … Picture: Aaron Chown – Pool/Getty Images

In the last month, King Charles has invited Mr Trump to London for a historic second State visit, then in the wake of the sickening Trump/Zelensky Oval Office bullying, he came out on Mr Zelensky’s side and had him round for tea.

He followed that up by having former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over for a cuppa too.

His Majesty’s public backing of both men and their countries is reported to have left Mr Trump in a “strop”.

So just what variety and magnitude of a sulk might William’s Estonia visit induce in Washington?

Since the beginning of Trump Two, the soft power of Crown Inc has never looked more important – and Charles and William are clearly being put into strategic play on the global chess board.

Maybe it could smooth things over with Mr Trump if William pointed out that planning for his Estonia trip began six months ago, before his re-election and the US’ stunning pivot towards Moscow.

King Charles with Volodymyr Zelensky on March 2, 2025. Picture: Joe Giddens/Pool/AFP

He came out on Zelensky’s side. Picture: Joe Giddens/PA via AP, Pool

Also, international royal visits are conducted at the politely-worded request of the Foreign Office, so this was not the prince simply going rogue, but doing his bit for the Starmer government and as part of his future role as head of the military.

What remains to be seen is how the Palace will navigate keeping Mr Trump sweet while also standing up to murderous thug and dog-lover Mr Putin.

At some stage, the president and his travelling circus of MAGA-ish goons will roll into the UK.

William should immediately see if he can get one of those matching puffers for Kate, The Princess of Wales.

Daniela Elser is a writer, editor and commentator with more than 15 years’ experience working with a number of Australia’s leading media titles

Originally published as ‘Clear rebuke’: Prince William’s brutal Donald Trump slap down