US visit: Charles on the highwire
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla have arrived in the US for a four-day state visit. President Donald Trump and the First Lady welcomed the royal couple in the White House on Monday. Charles is due to give a speech before Congress today Tuesday. Commentators debate whether the King can rescue the strained relationship between the US and the UK.
Fly in the King!
When standard politics fail, fly in the King to iron out the wrinkles, Les Echos comments:
“Two-hundred-and-fifty years after George Washington declared the independence of the United States – the official reason for the visit – Charles is now unofficially on a mission to save the 'special relationship' between the two countries. It is desperately needed, because Donald Trump is furious about the lack of support for his war in Iran and is threatening the UK with tariffs and diplomatic reprisals. ... The British public disapproves of Charles being sent into the fray, but PM Keir Starmer has somehow managed to become even less popular in Washington than he is in London. Charles, on the other hand, will at least receive a warm welcome.”
A sceptre but no magic wand
The visit could at least defuse the situation somewhat, argues The Times:
“That will require Charles to be firmer, more reasoned and less sycophantic than has been evident in the past year of Sir Keir Starmer's premiership. ... The King has a sceptre but no wand. He cannot magic away the accumulation of Starmer-Trump disagreements – over Ukraine, Nato, Greenland and the Chagos islands that have engendered a sense of mutual disappointment. But as Britain's most experienced ceremonial diplomat, His Majesty can change the tone of the conversation.”
Discreet charm of the monarchy
King Charles has a tricky task ahead, La Stampa acknowledges:
“There is much at stake here, not only for transatlantic relations, but for Europe and for King Charles himself. A diplomatic fiasco, or even just a hiccup, would be disastrous for his legacy. But if he succeeds in pacifying Trump and making him more favourably disposed towards the British government, it would boost his image at home and abroad. Like many of his predecessors, Starmer will be keeping his fingers tightly crossed for the King, pinning his hopes on the discreet charm and symbolic power of the British monarchy. ”
Time to move on
After this visit, the UK should abandon all efforts to gloss over the strained bilateral relations, the Guardian argues:
“For Mr Trump, whose narcissism blinds him to many truths, the king's trip – the first such state visit since 2007 – will inevitably be treated as a personal tribute ... Given the lethal havoc that he has unleashed in his second term of office, and the disrespect he has shown to Britain's elected government, its armed forces and its multicultural modern reality, that sticks in the craw. ... Once the king is back in Buckingham Palace, a veil should be drawn over the government's failed charm offensive with a rogue head of state.”