<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The British ambassador to Washington says the only country that has a "special relationship" with the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="_blank" title="United States"><span>United States</span></a><span> is "probably Israel".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The comments by Christian Turner, published in the </span><a href="https://www.ft.com/" rel="" target="_blank" title="Financial Times"><em><span>Financial Times</span></em></a><span>, threaten to overshadow King Charles' visit to the US this week.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Turner, who was appointed to the prized diplomatic post in February to replace the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/jeffrey-epstein" rel="" target="_blank" title="Jeffrey Epstein"><span>Jeffrey Epstein</span></a><span>-linked Peter Mandelson, made the remarks privately to a group of British students visiting the US in the same month.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-shooting-iran-live-updates-us-politics-april-29-king-charles/cd8964e9-2ea4-4b74-a1c3-fea526c3c874" target="_blank"><strong><span>King Charles addresses congress</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Special relationship' is a phrase I try not to utter because it's quite nostalgic, it's quite backwards looking, and it has a lot of sort of baggage about it," Turner said in a leaked audio recording.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I think there is probably one country that has a special relationship with the United States – and that is probably Israel."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The term "special relationship" was coined by British statesman Winston Churchill, the country's prime minister during World War II who built a close and effective partnership with ally America under president Franklin Roosevelt.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/uk-ambassador-says-only-us-special-relationship-is-with-israel/470e76ab-c802-4aaf-956b-fa0d523c1b01" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Over the ensuing decades, it has been so characterised on both sides of the Atlantic.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>King Charles' speech to the US Congress today (AEST) weighed heavily on the "special relationship", referencing the strong military, economic and cultural links forged between the US and Britain.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/melbourne-cafe-waitress-injured-by-passing-woman/65df8600-b468-4f01-8ca6-f4f1d731ce93" target="_blank"><strong><span>Melbourne cafe makes appeal after CCTV shows woman smashing plate in waitress' face</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Turner made his remarks to the students before the US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He also told them Britain's links to the US were "so strong".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There is a deep history and affinity between us. Particularly on defence and security, we are intertwined."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office that Turner's remarks were "private, informal comments" not intended to become public.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They are certainly not any reflection of the UK Government's position.".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/gamsat-the-incredible-cost-of-becoming-a-doctor-in-australia/bd86de64-2b67-4fa8-aafc-9bbe2dc0cbf2" target="_blank"><strong><span>Cost of becoming a doctor 'contributing to the healthcare crisis'</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Turner also compared the differences in the handling of the Epstein scandal in Britain and the US.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He told the students he thought it was "extraordinary" that the fallout "hasn't touched anybody" in the US. By contrast, he said, senior British figures – including Mandelson, his predecessor, and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor – had been "brought down" by the affair.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mandelson and Mountbatten-Windsor are both under investigation by UK authorities over alleged misconduct in public office.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Both have previously denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein, and the presence of a person's name in Epstein-related files is not indicative of wrongdoing.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></strong></em><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Sign up to</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></em></a></li></ul></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span></span></div></div>