King Charles III and Queen Camilla begin a state visit to Washington on Monday, April 27 amid a particularly tense atmosphere following an attack at a gala in the presence of Donald Trump. Due to the diplomatic tensions related to the conflict in Iran, the royal couple will have to navigate with caution to maintain the transatlantic “special relationship.”
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are embarking on a visit to Washington on Monday, April 27, in a very particular context, just after an attack at a gala attended by Donald Trump, amidst diplomatic tensions surrounding the conflict in Iran. The state visit, from April 27 to 30, is to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence.
The trip will proceed as planned,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the previous day, just hours after an armed assailant attempted to force entry to a dinner attended by the American president.
“It will go ahead as planned,” noted the Republican leader, fascinated by monarchical pomp, as generous in compliments for the monarch as he is critical of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “He’s a great guy,” Donald Trump said of the king in an interview with Fox News. “He’s very brave,” he judged of the monarch, who is being treated for cancer, “he represents his country like no one else can.”
Charles III was “very relieved” to learn that Donald Trump was “safe and sound” after gunfire during the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, outside the room where the president was with thousands of other guests.
Diplomatic tension
On the agenda, the president and his wife Melania Trump will host their guests for a tea and a visit to the White House beehives. Tuesday, the most ceremonial day of the trip will begin with a military welcome ceremony. Donald Trump and Charles III will have a meeting in the Oval Office, while their wives will participate in an event dedicated to education and artificial intelligence.
The same day, the British monarch is expected to deliver a speech to the US Congress, the first of its kind since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991, to downplay the current diplomatic tension by invoking the 250-year relationship between the UK and its former colony turned superpower, with its ups and downs.
The two couples will gather in the evening for a gala dinner in a rather small reception room at the White House, instead of the usual grand pavilion in the gardens for such occasions. Donald Trump despises this temporary structure. He wants to replace it with a monumental ballroom, construction of which is in full swing and he will likely mention it to his guests.
Epstein affair
After a trip to New York on Wednesday, the king and queen will visit the 9/11 Memorial. They will see Melania and Donald Trump one last time on Thursday, before their return journey.
Charles III will do everything to avoid that the tension between London and Washington creates a discordant note in this well-orchestrated pomp. The exercise will not be easy. Charles III must avoid fueling strong criticism in the UK about this unpopular trip, and above all not give the impression of a humiliating endeavor aimed at softening the unpredictable American president.
However, the monarch also has an implicit mission to appease Donald Trump, who is personally well-disposed towards him but alarmed by the reservations of British authorities regarding the Iran war, among other points of contention.
This visit will also have another explosive issue in the background: the Epstein affair and the past friendship of the king’s brother, Andrew, with the late criminal. Commentators will be on the lookout for any reference, even the most subtle, to this ongoing scandal that continues to shake the British monarchy during the four days the royal couple will spend on American soil.
