Despite being handed a 'poisoned chalice', King Charles navigated the Washington leg of his US State Visit with 'considerable aplomb' and has set the stage for what could be one of the defining moments of his reign, according to the Daily Mail's Editor-at-Large Richard Kay.
Speaking to columnist Sarah Vine on the Deep Dive podcast, the veteran royal reporter said the visit had handed the King 'a stage to himself', away from the family controversies and ill health that have overshadowed much of his time as monarch. This allowed Charles to finally be judged on his own considerable merits.
The King dazzled during his two days in Washington, making headlines across the Atlantic for his deft handling of President Trump. From poking fun at Trump's criticism of NATO and the UK's armed forces, to presenting the President with the original bell from HMS Trump, a Royal Navy submarine that bore his name during the Second World War, the King had the President 'eating out of his hand', Kay said.
While the visit is unlikely to result in 'anything tangible' for Britain, Kay predicted, it has done much to reset a special relationship that has grown increasingly strained following the UK's decision to stay out of the US and Israeli war on Iran.
'The King has been sidetracked by all these terrible domestic problems', Kay told Vine. 'His son, his brother - they were overshadowing all the good work of the Royal Family. Charles really wasn't getting any headroom - there just wasn't enough bandwidth. But, coming here to America, suddenly he has got the stage to himself, really for the first time in his reign. He finally has got out of the shadow of his mother. We're really into the reign proper, it seems to me.'
Kay has been in New York reporting every day on the King's State Visit for the Daily Mail's Palace Confidential YouTube show. He said the diplomatic success of the trip would make a 'huge difference' to the special relationship, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer set to reap the political rewards of Trump's warmth towards the monarch.
'The one person who will be very, very excited is Keir Starmer', Kay said. 'This will make a huge difference. We have seen with bells and whistles the success of pomp and ceremony. It will almost certainly make dialogue easier between the two governments.'
For Kay, what shone brightest throughout the Washington visit was the King's humour. The King raised laughs in Congress with a string of perfectly timed quips, most notably firing back at Trump's claim that Europe would be 'speaking German' without America by retorting that, without Britain, Americans would all be 'speaking French.'
'My favourite moments so far have been when the King's humour has been on display', Kay said. 'They have been matched in quite an unexpected way by a President who clearly enjoys having his tummy tickled. I think Charles has done an outstandingly good job for Britain. We will reap some benefits from that.'
The King and Queen Camilla continue their State Visit today in New York, where they have already visited the September 11 Memorial ahead of a business reception this evening.
