A high-stakes US visit for the Kingpublished at 20:51 BST
20:51 BST
Sean Coughlan
Royal correspondent in Washington DC
Image source, Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty ImagesImage caption,
Trump and King Charles enjoy a lighter moment during the state banquet at Windsor Castle for last year’s state visit
Thorny political relations
While the US president is a self-avowed fan of the royals, he regularly criticises the UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, and dismissed UK aircraft carriers as “toys” compared with US equivalents. The King is, of course, the head of the British Armed Forces.
‘Delicate balancing act’
State visits are carried out on behalf of the government, and royal sources recognise this trip is going to be a “delicate balancing act”, but say there’s a bigger picture of long-term US and UK friendship.
“Yes, we face current challenges, but the visit will also seek to celebrate our nations’ historic ties and create the conditions for that partnership to continue long into the future,” says a royal source.
The King’s brother Andrew
There’s personal pressure on the King too. After the scandal involving his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, it’s highly likely that survivors of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be giving interviews complaining that the royal visitors are not meeting them during the visit.
Queen Camilla will be meeting campaigners against domestic abuse during her engagements.
Trump’s admiration for the King:
Trump has been steadfast in his admiration for the monarchy and King Charles.
“I know him well, I’ve known him for years,” the president told the BBC last week about the King. “He’s a brave man, and he’s a great man.”
Whether or not that admiration is reciprocated is hard to say. Because when you ask insiders about how the King sees Trump, they tend to repeat how much Trump admires the King.
Read more in this full story.