Trump hails King Charles as 'greatest king' after royal visit mends strained US-UK ties

Key facts

• King Charles and Queen Camilla made a four-day state visit to the US marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
• Donald Trump said the royal couple 'got me to do something that nobody else was able to do' and 'they hardly asked'.
• Trump called Charles 'the greatest king, in my book' during a farewell at the White House on Thursday.
• Charles gave Trump the original bell from HMS Trump, a Royal Navy submarine launched in 1944.
• The visit aimed to mend the 'indispensable alliance' strained by the UK declining to join the US-Israeli war against Iran.
• Charles and Camilla spent their final hours in Front Royal, Virginia, attending a street party with marching bands and bluegrass music.
• Trump's staff released a photo of Charles and Trump with the caption 'TWO KINGS' and a crown emoji.

A farewell marked by effusive praise

Donald Trump said King Charles and Queen Camilla "got me to do something that nobody else was able to do" as he bid them farewell at the White House on Thursday. The US president, who has been enraged by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, heaped praise on the monarch, calling him "a great king" and "the greatest king, in my book." The quartet—Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Charles, and Camilla—posed for photographs outside the South Portico before heading inside for brief, informal goodbyes that lasted barely six minutes.

An awkward moment over the White House East Wing

During the farewell, a member of the press pack asked the King what he thought about Trump's demolition and proposed rebuild of the White House's East Wing—a project that proceeded with little authorisation. The query was awkward given royal protocol, and Charles did not offer an opinion. Trump interjected, saying "We'll talk later," apparently saving the King from embarrassment. The exchange underscored the delicate balance of the visit, which was designed to strengthen ties between the two countries.

The royal gift that charmed the president

At Tuesday's state dinner, Charles revealed a gift for Trump: the original bell from the conning tower of HMS Trump, a Royal Navy submarine launched from a British shipyard in 1944. The gesture appeared to delight Trump, who has often reveled in being compared to a king. The president's staff later released a photograph of the two men smiling together with the caption "TWO KINGS" followed by a crown emoji, signaling the rapport built during the visit.

Mending a strained alliance

The official reason for the royal trip was to mark the 250th anniversary of the US winning independence from the monarchy, prompting Charles to make wry jokes about his fifth-great-grandfather, George III, being on the losing side of the American Revolutionary War. But the visit also aimed to repair what Charles called the "unbreakable bond" and "indispensable alliance" between the two countries, which had been strained by the UK declining to join the two-month-old US-Israeli war against Iran. Trump acknowledged that liking the king "probably helps your relationship with the prime minister."

From the White House to small-town Virginia

After the brief White House farewell, Charles and Camilla headed to Front Royal, Virginia, to spend their final hours in small-town America. The itinerary included marching bands, Little League baseball, bluegrass music, Girl Scouts, and the bird-filled Blue Ridge Mountains. Before crossing the Potomac River, Charles paused at Arlington National Cemetery, where he was greeted by a 21-gun salute and laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The visit to the venerated site underscored the solemnity of the trip amid the pageantry.

Trump's parting words and their ambiguity

As the royal motorcade departed, Trump said, "Great people. We need more people like that in our country." The president, who ran on an anti-immigration platform, left unclear what he meant by "people like that." The remark, however, capped a visit that saw Charles draw smiles from members of Congress to Harlem school children, and from Trump himself. The trip appeared to have achieved its goal of mending ties, at least on a personal level between the two leaders.

The bottom line

• Trump's effusive praise for Charles and Camilla marked a rare moment of warmth in US-UK relations, strained by the UK's refusal to join the US-Israeli war against Iran.
• The visit included a gift of the HMS Trump bell, which delighted the president and reinforced the personal bond between the two men.
• Charles and Camilla's itinerary balanced high-level diplomacy with small-town Americana, reflecting the King's personal interests.
• The farewell was not without awkwardness, as a reporter's question about the East Wing demolition tested royal protocol.
• Trump's ambiguous comment about needing 'more people like that' highlighted the ongoing political divides in the US.
• The state visit successfully showcased the 'indispensable alliance' despite underlying policy disagreements.