King Charles III and President Trump meet at the White House
President Donald Trump welcomes King Charles III to the White House on an unusual state visit amid heightened tensions over Iran and NATO.
WASHINGTON – King Charles III jokingly apologized for Britain’s burning of the White House during the War of 1812, but wryly pointed out that Americans might speak French if it weren’t for their countrymen.
President Donald Trump marveled at King’s diplomatic skills in persuading Republicans and Democratic supporters paid Trump the ultimate compliment. The president said the king was a “wonderful person”.
But behind the light-hearted banter, personal flattery and theatrical spectacle surrounding the royal visit, subtle signs of a deep rift remain, presenting the U.S. and Britain’s long friendship as the most serious test in decades.
During a toast at the White House State Dinner in the chandelier-filled East Room on April 28, Prince Charles, wearing a white tie and tails, acknowledged: “We’ve stuck together through the best of times and the worst of times.”
Political analysts praised the king’s diplomatic overtures and the deft way in which he dealt with President Trump, who is angry with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the British government over a number of issues, including the US and Israel’s hesitation to get involved in the Iran war. But they questioned the extent to which the king’s four-day state visit to the United States would help mend the rift between the two countries.
Matthew Barzun, who served as the US ambassador to the UK from 2013 to 2017, said of the interaction between the two leaders that “there was clearly civility and genuine warmth on both sides.” “I think at the end of this week there’s more trust, respect and understanding than there was before, and that’s a good thing.”
Barzun likened the current difficulties between the two countries to a strained marriage. “When you get through it, you become stronger,” he said.
In Britain, Gawain Towler, a senior official at Reform Britain, a party led by Trump ally Nigel Farage, praised the king’s outreach to Americans, particularly his remarks to a joint sitting of both houses of parliament, an honor rarely bestowed on foreign leaders.
Mr. Towler said Mr. Charles managed to pull off “kind of a double hit” during his speech, pleasing many Democrats in Congress and charming the president at the same time. The party is expected to make significant gains in the upcoming British parliamentary elections.
“She couldn’t have done anything better,” Towler said, referring to Prince Charles’ late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to whom President Trump has shown special affection.
Mr. Towler acknowledged that Mr. Trump is a very unpredictable and even capricious political operator, and said it was unclear how long the good feelings and impressions that Mr. Charles received during his transatlantic trip would last on the political front.
Will King Charles’ visit repair relations with the United States?
Garrett Martin, co-director of the Center for Transatlantic Policy at American University in Washington, said the unusual royal visit appears to have generated goodwill but is unlikely to heal differences on policy issues.
“No matter how well-crafted the speech, the differences in positions on Iran, Greenland and trade are pretty deep and pretty deep-seated,” Martin said. “So I don’t think it’s very likely that we would expect President Trump to change his tune next week about how he views the UK’s position on the Iran conflict just because of this week’s goodwill.”
Despite their public romance, the king’s visit served as a reminder that all is not well.
The trip began with an awkward greeting when the King and his wife, Queen Camilla, arrived at the White House. As Charles got out of his black car and onto the red carpet, Trump, known for his aggressive handshakes, grabbed Charles’ hand and squeezed it. Charles finally released the clutch after about 10 seconds.
At the state dinner, President Trump angered the king by repeating his claim that Iran should not have nuclear weapons and declaring, “Prince Charles agrees with me.” Charles, Britain’s head of state but not head of government, typically avoids public politics.
king’s speech in parliament
In his remarks to Congress, Mr. Charles sometimes appeared to make harsh references to Mr. Trump without actually naming him.
He reminded Americans that Britain and other NATO members came to protect the United States after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. As president, Trump has repeatedly questioned the value of the NATO alliance.
Charles, a prominent environmental activist, praised America’s “natural wonders” and spoke of “our shared responsibility” to protect them. President Trump has called climate change “the biggest fraud in history” and pulled the United States from the Paris Agreement, the international treaty that limits the rise in global temperatures.
One of the speech’s most memorable moments, when Charles emphasized the need for checks and balances on the executive branch, drew thunderous applause and a lengthy standing ovation from Democrats and Republicans.
Martin said the king did more than just address President Trump and his administration through his remarks and visit to the United States. The prime minister also addressed the British people, many of whom were skeptical about the trip, who affirm values such as international alliances, environmental protection, democracy and the rule of law.
The amount of coverage of Prince Charles’ visit shows not only that Trump admires the monarchy, but that the American public remains interested in the royal family as well.
“In that sense, at least this week, it has had some effect on changing the conversation,” Martin said. “It has helped to cement Britain’s relative importance to the American people.”
In a sign of how concerned Britain is about the relationship, its ambassador to the United States told a group of students in February that the only country with a “special relationship” with the United States at the moment was “probably Israel,” the Financial Times reported this week.
“My advice to the Prime Minister is, ‘You can’t just put your hands over your ears and say it’s special, it’s okay,'” Sir Christian Turner said in a leaked audio obtained by the Financial Times.
Britain’s Foreign Office said the “personal and unofficial comments” “do not reflect” the government’s position.
A “complicated” but “lasting” friendship
Trump’s Florida-based personal lawyer, Robert Gerson, who is also British, met briefly with the king during his visit to Washington. Gerson said he thought the king’s trip went well. But he rejected the idea that Mr Trump would change his mind about foreign policy or the UK in any way because of his interactions with the king.
“He knows where he wants to go,” Gerson said, stressing that he was speaking in his personal capacity and not on behalf of the White House.
Philip Rieker, who served as interim US ambassador to the UK under President Joe Biden for nearly a year, said Charles’ remarks and his entire trip served as a reminder that the ties between Washington and London are far more important, no matter what the issue at hand is.
“What the king emphasized is that regardless of who’s in the White House or who’s at No. 10 Downing Street, the overall relationship is much more complex and in that sense permanent,” said Rieker, a researcher at the Wilson Center, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington.
Trump currently has issues with Starmer, praising the prime minister as “tough” and a “great negotiator” last fall after the United States and Britain struck a trade and technology deal that was said to be beneficial to both countries.
“This is the Trump administration and the president himself,” Rieker said.
Relations between the two countries can get better one day and deteriorate the next, he said.
“I don’t think we need to be too sensitive about what the relationships are perceived to be and what the narrative is on this reality show at any given moment,” Rieker said.
Britons still have a love for America and Americans “even if they are unhappy with what the president has said”.
