Will King Charles' visit clear tensions in US-UK friendship?

WASHINGTON – King Charles III jokingly apologized for the British burning the White House during the War of 1812 but slyly noted that, were it not for his fellow countrymen, the Americans might be speaking French.

President Donald Trump marveled at the king’s diplomatic skills at winning over Republicans and Democrats and paid him the ultimate Trumpian compliment. The king, the president said, is “a fantastic person.”

But beneath the lighthearted banter, the personal flattery and the theatrical spectacle that surrounds a royal visit, there remained subtle signs of the deep divisions that have become the most serious test in decades for the long friendship between the United States and the United Kingdom.

“We have stood together through the best and worst of times,” Charles, in white tie and tails, acknowledged in his toast at the White House state dinner in his honor April 28 in the chandeliered East Room.

Political analysts praised the king’s diplomatic overtures and the manner in which he deftly dealt with Trump, who is angry with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the British government over a multitude of disputes, including their reluctance to get involved in the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran. But they questioned how far the king’s four-day state visit to the United States would go toward patching up the discord between the two nations.

“Clearly you saw graciousness on both sides and a real warmth,” said Matthew Barzun, U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2017. “There is more trust, respect and understanding, I think, at the end of this week than there was before. That’s good.”

Barzun compared the difficulties between the two countries to a strained marriage. “When you come through it,” he said, “you come through it stronger.”

In Britain, Gawain Towler, a senior official in Reform UK, a political party headed by Trump ally Nigel Farage, praised the king’s outreach to Americans, especially his remarks before a joint session of Congress, an honor rarely afforded to a foreign leader.

Charles managed to pull off a "sort of double hit" by pleasing many Democrats in Congress during his speech and at the same time charming the president, said Towler, whose party is expected to make significant gains in Britain’s upcoming parliamentary elections.

"The queen couldn't have done it better," Towler said, referring to Charles’ late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, for whom Trump has expressed a particular fondness.

Towler conceded that Trump is a highly unpredictable and even fickle political operator and said it's not clear how long the good feelings and impressions Charles has made during his transatlantic trip will last in terms of politics.

Will King Charles' visit mend fences with the U.S.?

Though the rare royal visit appeared to generate goodwill, it’s unlikely to mend differences on policy, said Garrett Martin, codirector of the Transatlantic Policy Center at American University in Washington.

“No matter how well-crafted the speech was, the differences in positions – over Iran, over Greenland, over trade – are pretty deep and pretty entrenched,” Martin said. “So I think it's not really likely, just because of the goodwill of this week, to expect that President Trump is going to change his tune next week about how he views the U.K. position on the Iran conflict.”

Even with all the public bonhomie between the two men, there were reminders during the king’s visit that all is not well.

The trip started with an awkward greeting when the king and his wife, Queen Camilla, arrived at the White House. As Charles stepped out of his black vehicle and onto the red carpet, Trump, known for his aggressive handshake, grabbed Charles’ hand and held onto it. Charles finally broke the clutch after about 10 seconds.

At the state dinner, Trump put the king on the spot by repeating his argument that Iran should never have a nuclear weapon and declaring: “Charles agrees with me.” Charles, who is the British head of state but not the head of government, typically avoids politics in public.

The king's speech to Congress

In his remarks to Congress, Charles at times appeared to make pointed references to Trump without mentioning him by name.

He reminded Americans that the British and other NATO countries had come to the defense of the United States after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. Trump, as president, has repeatedly questioned the value of the NATO alliance.

Charles, a noted environmentalist, praised the “natural wonders” of the United States and spoke of “our shared responsibility” to protect them. Trump has called climate change “the greatest con job ever” and withdrew the United States from the Paris Accord, an international treaty to limit rise of the Earth’s temperature.

In one of the speech’s most memorable moments, Charles received raucous applause and a prolonged standing ovation – from Democrats and Republicans alike – when he stressed the need for checks and balances on executive power.

The king wasn’t just addressing Trump and his administration through his remarks and his trip to the United States, Martin said. He was also addressing the British public, many of whom are skeptical of the visit, who got to see him affirm values such as international alliances, protecting the environment, democracy and the rule of law.

The amount of news coverage Charles' visit received shows that not only does Trump admire the monarchy, the American public also remains interested in the royal family.

“In that sense, it has worked, at least for this week, to sort of change the conversation,” Martin said. “It has helped to cement the relative importance of the U.K. for the American public.”

In one sign of how much the United Kingdom has worried over the relationship between the two countries, its ambassador to the United States told a group of students in February that the only country that has a "special relationship" with the United States at the minute is "probably Israel," the Financial Times reported this week.

"My advice to my prime minister is, 'I can't just put my hands on my ears and say it's special, it's going to be fine,'" Sir Christian Turner said in the leaked audio obtained by the Financial Times.

Britain's Foreign Office said the "private, informal comments" were "not any reflection" of the government's position.

A 'complex' but 'enduring' friendship

Robert Garson, a Florida-based personal lawyer for Trump who's also British, met briefly with the king during his visit to Washington. Garson said he thought the king’s trip had gone well. But he pushed back against the idea that Trump would somehow change his mind about foreign policy or the United Kingdom because of his interactions with the king.

"He knows where he wants to go," Garson said, stressing that he was speaking in his private capacity, not on behalf of the White House.

Philip Reeker, who for nearly a year was the U.S. interim ambassador to the United Kingdom under President Joe Biden, said Charles’ remarks – and his overall visit – served as a reminder that the bond between Washington and London is far more important than whatever the problems of the moment may be.

“What the king underscored was that, despite who’s in the White House or who’s in 10 Downing Street, the overall relationship is far more complex and in that sense enduring,” said Reeker, a fellow at the Wilson Center, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington.

Trump has issues with Starmer now, but last fall he praised the prime minister as “tough” and “a great negotiator” after the United States and the United Kingdom finalized a trade and technology agreement seen as beneficial to both nations.

“This is the way the Trump administration and the president himself work,” Reeker said.

One day the relationship between the two countries is up, he said, and the next day it’s down.

“I don’t think we should get too worked up over what the perceived relationship is, what the narrative is in this reality show, at any particular moment,” Reeker said.

The British still hold affection for America and Americans, “even if they’re frustrated with the statements of the president.”