The Kings Visit Was a Hit With The American Congress But Not So With The British Public
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| King Charles received multiple standing ovations and rounds of laughter during his address to a joint meeting of Congress in Washington on Tuesday.Credit...Salwan Georges for The New York Times |
The state visit by King Charles III has been months in the making, but the British public’s view of the trip soured as it drew closer and the relationship between the longtime allies grew more strained.
After weeks of President Trump aiming disparaging remarks at Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his government over their position on the war with Iran, opinion polls have shown that in Britain, where Mr. Trump is deeply unpopular, more people oppose the king’s visit than favor it. Some politicians even called for the trip to be scrapped before the king and Queen Camilla arrived in Washington on Monday.
Even so, some experts say there is diplomatic value in deploying the monarch in his official capacity as head of state, especially as Mr. Trump has shown a fondness for the king and for the royals more broadly. The president clearly reveled in being the guest of honor, seated next to Charles, at a Windsor Castle banquet in September.
“If you’re going to have a monarchy, the place that can shine most is on the international stage,” said Ed Owens, a royal historian and expert on Britain’s royal family. “It is something that Britain has that many other countries don’t have.
The king may be able to soften some of the rougher edges in the relationship with the United States, Mr. Owens said — the kind of diplomacy he has mastered through five decades of engaging as a representative for Britain internationally.
“One of the calling cards of royal diplomacy is that they put their personal tastes to one side in order to carry out their duty on behalf of the country,” Mr. Owens added.
Since the United States and Israel began the war with Iran two months ago, some British politicians called on the government to cancel the king’s visit. Ed Davey, the leader of Britain’s Liberal Democrats party, said last month that the government was “showing a staggering lack of backbone by pushing ahead with this state visit while Donald Trump treats our country with contempt.”
Later, in Parliament, Mr. Davey said that he feared “for what Trump might say or do while our king is forced to stand by his side.” He added: “We cannot put His Majesty in that position.”
British officials, for their part, have been eager to avoid an awkward moment in which Mr. Trump might belittle Mr. Starmer in the king’s presence. As a result, on Tuesday the men appeared before reporters only for a brief photo opportunity ahead of their private meeting, with no chance for reporters to yell questions.
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