The King “relishes” the “tough parts” of his role and lives for helping the UK renew relationships with nations where political issues are at play, a senior palace aide has said.
Charles has completed a busy nine-day tour of the Caribbean dominated by the controversial topic of slavery reparations, which culminated in the head of state opening a Commonwealth summit where the issue was central.
He made solo trips to the Bahamas and a state visit to Guyana, and in Antigua and Barbuda was joined by the Queen when he presided over the meeting of Commonwealth leaders, in his role as head of the family of nations.
King as a 'great secret weapon'
His role as head of state means he is above party politics, giving him an edge over elected politicians and meaning he is a “great secret weapon” for the Government.
A senior palace aide said one central theme of the King’s overseas state visits is: “The King is not just king for the easy parts of the job, but the tough parts of the job, too.
“In fact, that’s probably the part of the job that he relishes most, whether that’s leading on the environment, whether it’s renewing and refreshing and reinvigorating relationships with nations where there have been some complex political issues at play, that is what he lives and breathes for.
“We have to tread quite a careful line sometimes between government policy and the King’s role.”
Summit address and statecraft
In his speech to launch the summit, Charles said the transatlantic slave trade “fills my heart with horror and my soul with the most profound personal sorrow”, but did not offer an apology.
The King was widely praised for his state visit to America earlier this year but had faced warnings from Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who voiced concerns about Charles being embarrassed by President Donald Trump and repeatedly called for the trip to be cancelled.
Charles’s high-stakes address to Congress was one of a number of hurdles he overcame during his sternest diplomatic test to date, but it was also seen as an opportunity to deliver on palace objectives in support of the Government who requested the trip.
The aide added: “We’re just in the fifth year of the reign and I think what we’re seeing is a very clear pattern emerging of the Government asking the King to head into quite politically charged situations, quite challenging situations.
“I would say, in the round, this has been a complex visit. It’s been challenging. It’s been exhausting. It’s been a hot tour across nine days, across three countries, across, well, you can count up the number of engagements yourselves.
“But the takeaway, I think, in the round, is that it’s been very successful, and I think the King has demonstrated his statecraft both by word and deed.
“It’s a great secret weapon to send the King.”
Working relationship with prime ministers
At home the King builds a “good working relationship” with the sitting prime minister and on Tuesday night joked with Commonwealth leaders, at a dinner he hosted in their honour, about the number of premiers who have served since he became monarch in September 2022, four in total.
He told his dinner guests: “And I must say that, during my visit here, it has been a great pleasure to meet so many prime ministers – almost as many as I’ve had at home.”
The aide said: “The King very quickly finds a way to establish a good working relationship with the sitting prime minister, so they get on very well.
“I see them together every week, and it genuinely is a good relationship, but as it is with all the prime ministers and all the ex-prime ministers as well, with almost every single one of them, you can find something that they really care about (and) that the King really cares about.”
