King Charles is set to visit Donald Trump in Washington at the end of this month, a state visit directed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the hope of improving the UK-US 'special relationship'. However, experts suggest the monarch's soft power may have little impact on the unpredictable US president.
Charles brings decades of diplomatic experience and the monarchy's greatest asset: soft power. Yet the Trump administration is known to disdain such charm, valuing only golf courses—some of which Trump owns. The president has already breached protocol by referring to Charles as 'prince' and revealing the visit dates (27-30 April) early, which the palace usually keeps secret for security.
The two men are not intellectual or spiritual soulmates. Trump has no interest in environmentalism or holistic medicine, key interests of Charles. The visit also occurs amid war, leading some advisers to suggest postponing, though this risked further provoking Trump's ire.
Charles has met Trump before on his UK visits and knows how to flatter him. Queen Elizabeth II was a master of distraction, once enduring Trump barging past her during a guard inspection in 2019. She considered him 'very rude', while he believed he was her favourite president.
The Queen met 14 US presidents during her reign, from Truman to Trump, and was generally welcomed obsequiously. Charles faces a more ticklish task, with Trump's unpredictability and disdain for protocol posing significant challenges.
