One can only imagine the sighs of relief – probably as large as the G&Ts on board their plane – as the King and Queen head home from the US later today.
A visit that many thought should have been cancelled, a visit potentially overshadowed by Epstein, Mandelson, Trump’s attacks on Britain, our armed forces and our Prime Minister – oh and the Falklands and Prince Harry. An American friend, hugely impressed by the King’s speech to Congress asked if Charles had overstepped his role by being somewhat political and would there be repercussions. My answer was no.
Charles’s speech, and in fact the whole Royal visit, deployed everything that Trump lacks – grace, dignity, warmth, wit and a careful use of language.
The speech, elegantly crafted and delivered was in stark contrast to the ramblings and vulgar public comments from Trump. But of course, much of it will have gone over the President’s head – a man who’s clearly not familiar with notions of nuance or subtlety. The King doesn’t need to ape Starmer or Rutte in playing what have been at times, the excruciating game of flattery with Trump. His message was for a far wider audience, Americans who despair at the way their country is now viewed by much of the word but also for an audience here in the UK.
His remarks about the value of NATO and how it had supported the USA after 9/11, “the defence of Ukraine and her most courageous people”, mention of his own proud links to the Royal Navy and the importance of protecting the environment could be seen as tacit support for the government’s resolve at not being drawn into the US/Israel war with Iran.
Interestingly Charles couched his comments about the environment in a phrase that might have appealed to the ‘transactional’ president and his coterie of businessmen playing at diplomacy who see everything in terms of profit or loss; “We ignore at our peril the fact that these natural systems – in other words, Nature’s own economy – provide the foundation for our prosperity and our national security.”
But his most pointed remarks were clearly aimed at the US, describing Congress as “this citadel of democracy created to represent the voice of all American people” and reminded his audience that Magna Carta was the cornerstone of the constitutional principle that “executive power is subject to checks and balances”. Not everyone in the audience liked that bit.
No doubt Trump will bask in the glory of his ‘special relationship’ with the King for a few days before insulting Britain, Kier Starmer, the Pope and anyone else on his radar while claiming that Charles thinks a new ballroom at the White House is a great idea.
