Critics oppose the King Charles meeting with the head of the EU. Reasons why

(cnn) ⸻ King Charles III extended a warm welcome to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen at Windsor on Monday. The meeting was an opportunity for the British sovereign to discuss the war in Ukraine and climate change with the visiting dignitary. However, the timing of the diplomatic gesture sparked criticism from former BBC Royal Correspondent Peter Hunt, who tweeted: "This is a very serious error of judgement by King Charles and his advisors. History won't be kind." Von der Leyen is not a head of state, but her counterpart in the UK is Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. An audience with the King was a special privilege and falls under the category of "rolling out the red carpet". Von der Leyen had come to the UK to meet Sunak to finalize a new UK deal with the European Union on post-Brexit trade arrangements in Northern Ireland. The key challenge was winning support for the new protocol from two key groups: the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and the European Research Group (ERG). When it emerged that the King would hold an audience with Von der Leyen, critics questioned both the government and the palace's judgment, arguing that his involvement could be interpreted as an implied endorsement of the political deal when, constitutionally, he's supposed to remain above politics. Former DUP leader Arlene Foster tweeted her disbelief that "No10 would ask HM the King to become involved," before labeling the move "crass" and predicting it would "go down very badly in NI (Northern Ireland)." Jacob Rees-Mogg, of the ERG, told GB News that His Majesty should not be involved until there is full support for the agreement. The palace made it clear it didn't arrange the meeting. The UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has confirmed that the government invited Ursula von der Leyen to come to the UK to finalize a deal with the prime minister. This was a close call for King Charles, who has been accused of political interference in the past. However, the landmark deal agreed by Sunak and Von der Leyen appears to be going down better than expected and didn't trigger a political firestorm. Buckingham Palace has announced that Charles and Camilla will visit France and Germany later this month for a six-day trip, touring some famous landmarks and attending state banquets. The King will address lawmakers at the French Senate, open a new exhibition at the Musée d'Orsay, and join the Macrons, along with Camilla, at a ceremony of remembrance at the Arc de Triomphe.