King Charles visits the US amid tense relations with President Trump
USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page takes a deep dive into the U.S.-British relationship and what to expect from King Charles III’s visit to Washington.
Charles III may be channeling his mother when he arrives in Washington on April 27th.
During her record-setting reign, Queen Elizabeth met with 13 sitting US presidents, more than any previous figure from any country, sometimes at moments when the US-Britain’s “special relationship” was strained.
It was his son’s first mission to visit the former colony since his coronation, arriving amid a rift over the Iran war and the future of NATO.
What is Elizabeth’s lesson?
Here we will introduce four of them.
What is your problem today? Please ignore
The constitutional monarch has no power to negotiate the US role in the Western alliance or the deployment of British troops to the Strait of Hormuz. These are Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s problematic mandates.
So why get into trouble today?
Elizabeth became the first queen to arrive in Washington shortly after Britain’s attempt to seize the Suez Canal, a plan that not only failed but also infuriated President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
However, there is no evidence that the Queen and President discussed Suez during their visit. Instead, they reminisced fondly, remembering when she was a teenage princess and he was an American general sent to London to help win World War II, and discussing the latest news of the day: the Soviet Union’s Sputnik launch.
It was a challenge to U.S. supremacy in space, a partnership between the two countries.
A few years later, in 2003, she hosted President George W. Bush in London during mass protests against the Iraq war, an issue that engulfed politics in both countries.
Did they talk about it?
“No,” the senior palace advisor added emphatically, surprised at the very idea, “no, no, no, no.”
There’s no need for that. Leave it to 10 Downing Street.
Please bring me something shiny
Royal treasures have long fascinated millions of Americans. That includes President Trump, who added a palatial layer of gold leaf to the Oval Office. The huge new ballroom he ordered is likely to dwarf the grand dining rooms at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace.
During formal meetings with presidents and other foreign leaders, Elizabeth embraced history and dazzled with tiaras, earrings, and necklaces filled with precious jewels.
Of course, Charles will be sporting medals rather than jewelry. However, take a look at Queen Camilla putting some of her crown jewels on display.
The royal couple’s gift to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will be another opportunity to tap into Britain’s treasure trove and make a good impression.
Let’s take a long view. About 250 years
The king’s arrival comes at a fortuitous time, as the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaches. No one seems to care that the proclamation was directed at his great-grandfather, George III, who was denounced in it as a tyrant who “destroyed the lives of his people.”
Rather, that shared history gave Charles an opportunity to emphasize the common language and values of the United States and Britain.
Half a century ago, Elizabeth visited the White House for the nation’s bicentennial celebrations.
For her, it was a chance to meet the new president, Gerald Ford, in the wake of the Watergate scandal involving his predecessor, Richard Nixon.
This scandal and concerns about its impact forced Britain to maintain a degree of diplomatic distancing for some time. There was behind-the-scenes debate in London over whether the Queen should visit during her 200th anniversary, with some suggesting that her son Charles be sent instead.
That’s if Nixon survived. He didn’t and solved the problem.
If all else fails, wait. Another president will soon be inaugurated.
Although there are no terms or term limits for monarchs, Charles’ reign will certainly be shorter than his mother’s 70 years. He was 73 years old when he was crowned in 2022. Two years ago, he revealed that he was battling cancer.
Presidents, by contrast, have a sell-by date, and the end of Trump’s White House term is currently two and a half years away. At that point, Charles or his successor will likely still be imprisoned at Buckingham Palace.
Elizabeth understood that. When President Lyndon Johnson rejected her pleas to visit London, she bided her time until the friendlier President Richard Nixon took office. After a rocky relationship with President Jimmy Carter, she developed her closest relationship with his successor, President Ronald Reagan.
She was generally careful not to let her relationship with the current president complicate her relationship with the next president.
The exception was when British authorities searched files for dirt on Bill Clinton, an Oxford Rhodes Scholar during the Vietnam War. This was a not-so-subtle effort to help President George HW Bush defeat his Democratic challenger in 1992.
Although Mr. Clinton won, he insisted he held no grudge but never forgot.
During the Queen’s visit in 1976, British officials invited Mr. Carter, then the likely Democratic candidate, to a mutual dinner at the British Embassy and discussed whether to meet the Queen. However, the White House made it clear that Ford opposed the idea, but they did not.
This time, the focus will be on whether Charles will try to reach out to the Democratic Party diplomatically.
Because presidents come and go. The British monarchy has existed for more than a thousand years and will continue to exist for many years to come.
Susan Page, USA TODAY’s Washington bureau chief, is the author of “Queens and Presidents,” published by Harper in April.
