A new poll has revealed how the British public feel about King Charles' recent trip to the United States, and how it will impact US relations with the UK. The visit, which took place in late April, saw the King and Queen travel to the US for a four-day stay, including two days in Washington DC with President Donald Trump and the First Lady.
Public Perception of the Visit
According to an IPSOS poll, 58 percent of Britons viewed the trip as a success, while a further 46 percent believe it will positively impact UK-US relations. Additionally, 32 percent of Britons now agree there is a special relationship between the United States and Britain, a nine percent increase compared to before the trip.
However, 40 percent of respondents think the trip will not make a difference to Britain's relationship with the US, citing President Trump's erratic and unpredictable nature. Americans were less optimistic, with only 28 percent believing the visit will have a positive impact on bilateral relations—18 percent fewer than the British public's view.
Expert Analysis
Gideon Skinner, Senior Director of UK Politics at IPSOS, commented: "Following a period of considerable uncertainty that has damaged public perceptions towards the transatlantic relationship, King Charles III’s state visit appears to have provided a welcome sense of stability, at least in the short term. Most Britons think the visit was a success, and nearly half are hopeful that it will have a positive impact on US-UK relations in the future, which is higher than pre-visit expectations."
He added: "However, the question remains whether this will be a sustained improvement or a temporary recovery. While belief in the special relationship has clearly recovered from April’s historic low, Britons are still split on it overall, and attitudes remain more ambivalent than we have seen in previous years. It now falls onto the two governments to build on the optimism that has been created by King Charles’ visit to move towards a more settled chapter in UK-US relations."
The King's Speech to Congress
During the visit, King Charles delivered a 20-minute speech to Congress, earning 22 rounds of applause. He urged President Trump to abandon his America First policy and commit to a new alliance with Britain for the good of the world. Reflecting on the special relationship between the UK and the US, Charles said that amid changing and often turbulent times, Britain and the United States should "stand united in our commitment to uphold democracy, to protect all our people from harm."
Body language expert Bruce Durham from Huddle Culture praised the monarch's delivery, stating: "This is King Charles in his absolute prime… in his absolute glory. He is so comfortable and we see a masterful piece of not only body language, but also the spoken word. This is a sublime power play. It is a masterpiece in how to influence people with a smile on your face and a glint in your eye, while delivering the messages that you really want to deliver to achieve the impact you desire. And that’s something that we could all learn from."
