As King Charles prepares for a four-day state visit to the United States, royal experts share their insights into what may be discussed during the monarch’s meeting with Donald Trump.
Speaking with Vanity Fair, royal historian Ed Owens shared that Charles is expected to take a non-political role in order to strengthen the historical ties between the UK and the US.
Worth noting is that the visit comes at a delicate time for US-UK relations, which are strained by disagreements over Iran, Ukraine, NATO commitments and trade policy. Additionally, Trump and Keir Starmer have clashed publicly on a number of issues, raising concerns about the future of the long-standing relationship between the two allies.
Owens said, “(King Charles) obviously can’t talk politics, or take sides, but he can use his role as a politician to exercise soft power. This visit is a visit with potential pitfalls, but Charles is not going to get involved in the breakdown of relations between President Trump and Sir Keir Starmer. He will talk about the bigger picture and the relationship and history between the US and Britain.”
He added, “I would be very surprised if the King made any reference to the tensions between the White House and Whitehall. He will take a long-term view and talk in big terms about the relationship between two countries that have been very close since the First World War. This is a special relationship for many reasons. It is a relationship that is almost 100 years old and is valued on both sides of the Atlantic in politics – many members in Congress would like that relationship to continue – and between the American and British publics.”
In particular, Owens said this could be an opportunity for King Charles and the monarchy to “shine”, adding, “Although the king has had a difficult start to his reign with family discord, a cancer diagnosis and then Andrew’s downfall, he has performed well internationally. I would argue that he has defined himself as a king who is perhaps more powerful internationally than Britain is.”
“The world is an uncertain place. The royal family has tried to re-emphasise the importance of international cooperation and it is very important for the world to see that,” the expert said.
