Starmer looks to Charles to salvage the special relationship

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King Charles has arrived in the US for a four-day state visit to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence and celebrate its historic ties with the UK.

So what? There are political tripwires beneath the pomp and pageantry. Number 10 hopes that the king, as Britain’s greatest soft power asset, can help repair the fraying transatlantic partnership. This will be no mean feat, given Donald Trump’s

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  repeated attacks on Keir Starmer;

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  unpredictable and irascible manner; and

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  efforts to contain the fallout from the Iran war.

The flame that burns twice as bright. The president invited Charles to the White House after he visited the UK in September. Back then, the so-called special relationship was rosy. Starmer and Trump exchanged compliments and signed an agreement sparing the UK from the worst of the president’s tariffs. This was coupled with separate deals on AI and nuclear energy.

Burns half as long. Starmer’s US policy is now in tatters. The decision to send Peter Mandelson to Washington has proved to be a catastrophic mistake. Trump has also turned against Starmer, angered by his refusal to join the Iran war. Last week there were reports the US could review its stance on British sovereignty over the Falklands.

Non-starter. Against this backdrop, some UK politicians called for Charles to cancel his visit or at least postpone it to the autumn. This was never likely as it would have caused huge embarrassment and inflicted further damage to an already strained partnership. But going ahead with the trip can be read as another act of appeasement towards a hostile foreign leader.

Charm offensive. It also means Charles faces the most fraught diplomatic brief handed to a British monarch in recent memory. Although he has no authority to set policy, it is hoped he can woo Trump, a keen royalist, enough to set the stage for some sort of rapprochement.

Royal itinerary. Security will be tighter than ever after a gunman attempted to storm a dinner attended by Trump in Washington on Saturday night. The trip kicked off yesterday with tea and a tour of the White House. Today’s main event is an address to the US Congress, the first by a British monarch since Queen Elizabeth in 1991.

Don’t mention the war. She used the occasion to decry the transience of power that “grows from the barrel of a gun”. Charles will be likely to steer clear of this subject.

Behind closed doors. There will also be a tête-à-tête between Charles and Trump in the Oval Office, the scene of recent ambushes on Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa. This one will be private, but there will be other opportunities for awkward moments between a freewheeling president and a monarch accustomed to stage-managed appearances.

Smile and wave. That said, Trump will be on his best behaviour. Last week he called Charles a “great man” and said the monarch could “absolutely” repair the transatlantic relationship.

All talk. Whether this means anything is unclear given Trump’s transactional approach to geopolitics. There is no escaping the diminishing usefulness of the UK, a middle power with a depleted military that no longer serves as a bridge to Europe.

Meanwhile, the King faces calls to meet survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. Questions about his brother’s relationship to the paedophile financier will be a theme of the trip. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office linked to Epstein. He denies the charges.

What’s more… Buckingham Palace says a meeting with the survivors will not be possible due to “ongoing police inquiries”.

Photograph by Eddie Mulholland/Pool/PA/Alamy