King Charles walks diplomatic tightrope in Washington
King Charles is making his first US state visit this week as the UK monarch. AFP
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King Charles left for the United States today amid transatlantic tensions over the Iran war and the long shadow of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, which threatens to intrude on the landmark visit.
Both Buckingham Palace and the British government have said the four-day trip will honour the historic relationship between the two countries as the US marks 250 years of independence.
Charles’ first US state visit as monarch will be at the request of the United Kingdom government and US President Donald Trump, and will be made alongside Queen Camilla, according to the palace.
However, as the American leader’s war with Iran drives a rare wedge between London and Washington, it has generated considerable controversy.
Trump has repeatedly lambasted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his opposition to the war, alongside his government’s immigration and energy policies.
“This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with,” Trump grumbled last month, adding that the so-called special relationship was “not like it used to be”.
The American leader has also mocked the perceived state of Britain’s armed forces, of which the king is commander-in-chief.
A YouGov poll early this month found that 48% of Britons support cancelling the trip.
Trump—a vocal admirer of the royals whose mother was Scottish—told the BBC on Thursday the visit could “absolutely” help repair relations, praising the king as “fantastic”.
Charles, 77, showcased his diplomatic skills during Trump’s state visit to Britain last September, with Royal Holloway University of London monarchy expert Craig Prescott noting he is “generally very good” at navigating such occasions.
Prescott said the independence anniversary provided a useful “get out” for the British side to argue the trip is “not about Keir Starmer and Donald Trump, per se”.
But he acknowledged it was “that little bit closer to politics” than usual, and Charles would likely address the “very big elephant in the room” in a coded way in his speech to the US Congress on Tuesday.
The first British monarch to address Congress since his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, in 1991, he will mark the two countries’ shared history and deep ties, the palace has said.
“He might refer to how the special relationship has perhaps waxed and waned over time,” Prescott predicted, arguing Charles has proven to be a “better speaker” than his mother.
But Graham Smith, of the anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, argued the king will “go through the rituals without offering anything of substance”.
The only critical thing “about this pointless trip is how Trump behaves”, he said on X.
Meanwhile, the scandal around late US sex offender Epstein threatens to encroach on the highly choreographed tour.
Charles has faced a major crisis over the friendship his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, previously known as Prince Andrew, had with the late billionaire, who died in prison in 2019.
The longstanding controversy intensified after Andrew was arrested in mid-February following new revelations over their links.
Andrew, who remains under police investigation, has not been charged and has denied any wrongdoing.
Several US lawmakers have unsuccessfully urged the ex-prince to testify before Congress about Epstein.
Democrat Ro Khanna wrote to Charles last month requesting the king meet victims privately, while the family of late Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre made a similar demand.
Palace sources have told UK media a meeting “will not be possible”, arguing it could “impact on (police) inquiries, or the proper course of the law”.
Khanna told The Times this month that declining would make Charles look “out of touch” and “diminish the credibility of the monarchy for future generations”.
But he added acknowledging the survivors and their struggle for justice in his Congress address “would go a long way”.
The visit, which will see the royals have tea with Trump and First Lady Melania and attend a state dinner, appears meticulously planned to avoid unscripted moments.
Only photographers will capture tomorrow’s Oval Office meeting between Trump and Charles, limiting the king’s chances of being blindsided by the unpredictable US leader and reporters.
-Khmer Times-
