Relations between the United Kingdom and the United States are marginally better today than when the American people broke ties with King Charles's great-great-great-great grandfather, King George III, two and a half centuries ago. But as King Charles, accompanied by his wife, Queen Camilla, touched down in Washington for the first State Visit to the United States of his reign, much was resting on his shoulders.
Reviving the 'Special Relationship'
The 77-year-old sovereign has been charged by the British government to put the sparkle back into the so-called 'special relationship', although diplomats insist it's a term they haven't used for 25 years, preferring the more malleable 'enduring'. Their Majesties touched down at Joint Base Andrews at 3pm local time to embark on a four-day trip, ostensibly designed to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Queen Camilla's Touching Tribute
Queen Camilla sported a new pink Dior coat dress especially for the occasion, along with, movingly, a Union Flag/Stars and Stripes brooch presented to Queen Elizabeth by the Mayor of New York in October 1957. Set with rubies, emeralds and diamonds, it was gifted during the monarch's own first State Visit to the United States as Queen at a civic lunch by Mayor Robert F. Wagner on behalf of the City of New York.
That State Visit, at the height of the Cold War, was designed to reinforce the ties of friendship between the United States and Great Britain, echoing the highly significant visit undertaken by her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, in 1939 in the lead up to the Second World War.
Security Concerns Amid Recent Events
Given recent events, this week's trip by her son will be considered a rousing success if it even half-way reminds President Donald Trump that there is more that unites our two countries than divides us: 'Project Paper Over The Cracks'. Despite the drama of Saturday's apparent assassination attempt on President Trump and his most senior officials, which prompted a frantic security review of the entire visit before Buckingham Palace declared it would still be going ahead, the American leader has made clear his personal determination it goes off without a hitch.
British ambassador Sir Christopher Turner says he is 'very confident that all appropriate security measures are in place' with just a few tweaks to one or two engagements in light of events. The security cordon that has been thrown round the King and Queen, however, is one of the highest ever known.
Trump's Warm Words for King Charles
In interviews over the weekend, President Trump variously described 'my friend' King Charles as a 'brave' man, the best representative of his country, and someone he was actually delighted to welcome with open arms. Given his clear contempt for British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and vocal criticism of his refusal to support his war in Iran, it's admittedly not the highest of bars. But senior diplomatic sources told the Mail yesterday that the Trump administration was 'more Anglophile' at its heart than many in recent history, and the President (and, particularly, the First Lady, Melania Trump) are keen to return the hospitality they have received on their multiple visits to the United Kingdom.
Arrival Ceremony and Reception
As the royals' plane touched down in glorious sunshine at Joint Base Andrews on the outskirts of the capital city, the King and Queen were received by the Chief of Protocol of the United States, Ambassador Monica Crowley, and His Majesty's Ambassador to the United States, Sir Christian Turner, who was parachuted in February after the Mandelson debacle that continues to haunt Starmer's premiership. Although he has only been in charge for barely two months, the career diplomat is considered a smooth operator and a safe pair of hands, not least because he sat on the Royal Visits Committee at the Foreign Office for eight years and actually knows one end of a royal tour from another.
Their Majesties received posies from children of British military families based in the US, as well as being greeted by diplomatic, federal and state representatives, including senior members of the British Embassy in Washington and representatives of the United States Government. They proceeded through an 'honour cordon' sourced by US military personnel, with the United States military band playing the national anthems of both countries, before heading off in their convoy for the White House.
White House Welcome and Beehive Visit
There they will be personally greeted on the iconic South Portico - the neoclassical two-story structure with its grand double staircase, overlooking the South Lawn - by the President and First Lady. With the full military and ceremonial honours being saved for Tuesday - the second of no less than five meetings between the two heads of state over the four-day State Visit, an indication of how much this means to governments on both sides of the Atlantic - this was more of a homely welcome.
Their Majesties, together with their hosts, will visit the new 'White House beehives' - which will no doubt fascinate the British visitors, who are both keen apiarists and have sold their own homegrown honey for charity over the years. Formally established in 2009, the bee-keeping programme supports the pollination of nearby gardens while serving as an 'enduring feature' of the White House grounds. And while King Charles has erected three very distinctive beehives in the shapes of classic structures at his Highgrove home in Gloucestershire - given to him as a 70th birthday present by royal food supplier Fortnum & Mason - America, naturally, does it bigger. Their two new bee colonies are housed in hives in the very shapes of the White House itself.
English Tea and Bilateral Talks
Afterwards the two couples will retire inside for a quintessentially English cup of tea and a chat, with the serious bilateral talks saved for Tuesday. No expense has been spared with four kinds of sandwiches showcasing the best of British - Scottish salmon with lemon butter, roast beef and horseradish, egg mayonnaise and pickled cucumber. Buckingham Palace and the British Embassy are taking no chances however - and nothing was recorded by the television cameras. Indeed, it is a feature of the entire visit that any personal interaction between the King and President, other than a couple of staged photocalls, are taking place with no-one but their closest advisors to hear.
Garden Party and Time Capsule
Later in the day, the King and Queen plan to join their ambassador for a garden party in the grounds of his official residence - which hosted its first royal garden party for King George VI in June 1939 - along with 650 guests. No expense has been spared with four kinds of sandwiches showcasing the best of British - Scottish salmon with lemon butter, roast beef and horseradish, egg mayonnaise and pickled cucumber - along with home-baked scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam. Staff were busy yesterday prepping 3,000 individual sandwiches, with the on-message beef, notably, coming from one of the first tariff-free shipments that have arrived as part of the new UK-US economic prosperity agreement. It has been frozen for 'peak freshness' so that it could be enjoyed today.
Guests represented the wide-ranging and historic connections between the United States and the UK in everything from politics to science and sustainability and charities tackling domestic abuse, as well as community organisations and the creative industries. Charles and Camilla were also set to view a special 250th anniversary time capsule, twinned with another placed under the statue of George Washington in London last year, containing a proclamation from His Majesty, essays written by local school children and a commemorative coin placed inside by the couple themselves. It will be placed under the Washington Monument on the capital city's National Mall later this year, with strict instructions for it only to be opened on the quincentennial anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in another 250 years time. And who knows how special the relationship will be by then.
