King Charles is set to travel to Washington next week for a private tea and state dinner with Donald Trump, at a time when the 'special relationship' between the UK and US has been strained to its lowest point in 70 years. The visit, which marks the 250th anniversary of American independence, comes amid Trump's approval rating of 33% and his recent criticism of the Pope, raising concerns over how he will treat the monarch.
Democratic Congressman Brendan Boyle described the situation as challenging for the King, who must balance the soft power of his position with Trump's constant attacks on Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The four-day trip is the most high-profile of Charles's reign so far, and he is expected to emphasise the strong bonds between the two nations despite current tensions.
However, the US pro-democracy group Save America Movement has launched an advertising campaign opposing the visit, arguing that Charles is legitimising Trump's extremism. Steve Schmidt, a veteran strategist on the group's steering committee, compared the meeting to Charles's great-uncle, the Duke of Windsor, meeting Adolf Hitler in 1937, calling Trump a 'full-blooded American fascist'.
The group plans to project images of Trump with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein onto Windsor Castle, referencing the King's brother, Prince Andrew, who was arrested in February on suspicion of leaking government documents to Epstein. Prince Andrew denies wrongdoing. Palace aides are anxious to keep the King away from reporters who might question him about his brother's ties to Epstein.
Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna has requested a meeting with Epstein survivors, but Buckingham Palace has ruled it out on legal advice. Khanna will hold a public meeting on Capitol Hill with advocacy groups and Epstein survivor Sharlene Rochard, as well as family members of Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she was trafficked to Prince Andrew.
