Donald Trump praised the “special relationship” between the US and the UK as he hosted a ceremonial military welcome for King Charles and Queen Camilla at the White House. The US president said Americans “have had no closer friends than the British” during the event on the second day of Charles’s state visit.
The visit comes amid recent tensions between London and Washington, including public criticism by Trump of Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the war in Iran. Officials in Downing Street hope the royal family’s soft power diplomacy can help heal the rift.
Trump described hosting the royal couple as a “tremendous privilege”, called Charles a “very elegant man”, praised the late Queen Elizabeth II as a “very special woman”, and revealed his mother had a “crush” on the king when he was younger. The president and first lady Melania Trump staged an unprecedented military ceremony for their guests.
Later on Tuesday, the king is expected to allude to recent strains between the two nations during a rare address by a monarch to the US Congress. He is likely to emphasise that, despite disagreements, the two countries have always found ways to come together based on shared democratic, legal and social traditions.
Trump has threatened to impose a “big tariff” on the UK if it does not drop its digital services tax on US technology companies. Charles is expected to reference the importance of trade and technology deals for continued economic partnership.
During the welcome ceremony, Charles and Camilla stood with the president and first lady as the US Marine Band played both national anthems and a 21-gun salute was fired. Senior members of Trump’s administration, including Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, attended.
