Who invited Trump to UK and who is exempt from his ban on entry to US?

US President Donald Trump has been signing several executive orders. Credit: AP / Alex Brandon / File

A few tidbits about the row over Donald Trump's selective ban on who can enter the US, and the related furore over the Queen's invitation to the US president to come to the UK on a state visit in June or July.

1) The PM cannot duck responsibility for the state-visit invitation.

I am told by one of her closest colleagues that the final decision to issue the invitation was made when she arrived in Washington at the end of last week.

And another very well placed source told me: "I can tell you categorically that state visits are signed off by the PM...Absolutely no doubt that this was her and her team's idea".

There have been widespread protests in the US over the travel ban. Credit: AP/Elaine Thompson

2) The foreign secretary Boris Johnson has just said in the Commons that the UK now has a special carve out from the ban for British citizens who also hold passports for the seven affected countries (Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Yemen and Iraq) - as does Canada.

And I am told that New Zealand and Australia can expect exemptions too, as the other members (with the US) of the "Five Eyes" intelligence co-operation network.

That Trump's America seems to be favouring what used to be called the "White Commonwealth" will do little to allay concerns that Trump is doing his best to alienate as many Muslims as he possibly can.

The decision to invite Trump to the UK would not have been made by the Queen. Credit: Dominic Lipinski/ Pool / AP

3) No one even tries to suggest that the state visit was the Queen's idea.

In fact a number of Tory MPs tell me they are concerned the Queen will be feeling deeply uncomfortable about the manifest unhappiness felt by many Britons about the plan to fete Donald Trump with all the pomp and circumstance our state can muster.

It is not the happiest of starts to the relationship between May and Her Majesty, as one said to me - but then the relationship between the Queen and Margaret Thatcher was at times bumpy (although Theresa May has made it clear she has no desire to be Thatcher reborn, even if Trump wishes to style the two of them as a new "Ronnie and Maggie").