LONDON — challenge to King Charles III As he begins a state visit this week to the United States, he is, as always, living up to his mother.
the The late Queen Elizabeth II She dazzled Congress in 1991 with a speech that celebrated the shared democratic traditions between Britain and the United States, quoted the words of Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, and highlighted the deep ties between the two countries.
These topics will also be high on Charles’ agenda as he celebrates the 250th anniversary of America’s birth and seeks to calm surrounding tensions. Prime Minister Keir Starmer Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University in Texas, said that the United States refused to support US President Donald Trump’s war against Iran.
“We always have to differentiate that there is a difference between the UK government and the kings and queens of Great Britain, who are always coming in to try to put on a good face,” Brinkley told The Associated Press. “Politics comes and goes, prime ministers and presidents come and go, but there is something deeper about the special relationship between the US and the UK.”
Beneath the pomp and pageantry of Charles’s four-day trip to Washington, New York and Virginia is a carefully choreographed diplomatic event, like all royal visits, at the request of the British government. Starmer resisted pressure to cancel it after Trump Underestimating the sacrifices of the British Army In Afghanistan, she personally criticized him for failing to support the United States in Iran.
Despite those tensions, Trump continued to speak warmly of Charles.
“History has shown that President Trump really tries to be impressive when he deals with the British royal family,” Brinkley said. “And I’m sure it will be the same this time.”
Since 1939, when King George VI became the first British monarch to set foot on the soil of the country’s former colony, there has been a special kind of excitement when royals come to the United States.
Take, for example, that first visit, which took place as World War II loomed over Europe. The royals toured the East Coast and attended a “picnic” at Roosevelt’s private home in Hyde Park, New York. The New York Times declared, “King tries hot dogs and asks for more.”
But the big moment was when the royals traveled to Mount Vernon to lay a wreath at the grave of George Washington, America’s first president. He showed respect in a time of isolation.
“People could see the handwriting on the wall and know that it would be important for the United States and Britain to remain strong in the fight against Hitler,” said Barbara Perry, a presidential scholar at the Miller Center at the University of Virginia.
But bonding over sausages had broader benefits, helping the royals build bonds with commoners as well as their leadership. After the outbreak of war in September 1939, Queen Elizabeth, wife of George VI and mother of Elizabeth II, wrote to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to express how moved she was by letters from Americans who had enclosed small sums for British troops.
“At times, during these last terrible months, we have felt somewhat alone in our fight against evil things, but I can honestly say that our hearts have been brightened by the knowledge that friends in America understand what we are fighting for,” she wrote.
Queen Elizabeth She built on those relationships, making four state visits to the United States during her 70-year reign. She helped President Gerald Ford celebrate America’s bicentennial in 1976 and met with President George W. Bush in 2007 while British and American forces were fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Calming turbulent waters and reminding both sides of their shared bond was what those trips were all about.
Charles’ visit will be no different. It includes commemorations of the September 11, 2001, attacks, a ceremony to honor fallen service personnel, and an event attended by Queen Camilla to mark the centenary of the Winnie-the-Pooh stories by British author A. A. Milne.
Embarrassing events will be avoided.
Members of the Royal Family will not meet Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, despite calls for the King to address them His brother Links to convicted sex offenders. There are no plans for Charles to meet his son Prince Harrywho had been a critic of the monarchy since abandoning royal duties and moving to California.
Robert Hardman, author of “Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story,” said these issues are not a priority.
“He’ll go because 250 years ago, the Founding Fathers of the United States kicked out his great-grandfather, five children, and he’ll say, ‘No hard feelings, it was a great divorce, we’ve had a lovely 250 years and let’s think about the important points,'” Hardman said. “I mean, there’s going to be some pretty big elephants in the room during that visit…but, you know, there’s a lot of other things for the King to focus on.”
Charles’s speech to a joint session of Congress provides the opportunity to convey the message that long-term friendship is more important than fleeting disputes.
He’ll also likely offer a little humor, as his mother did when she confronted lawmakers in 1991.
The queen, dressed in soft peach amid a sea of gray suits, began her remarks with a joke about a blunder at the White House the day before, when her podium was so long that it blocked the audience’s view of her.
“I hope you can see me today from where you are,” she deadpanned.
The room exploded with laughter. A standing ovation followed. She then launched into a speech about democratic values, the rule of law and NATO.
Brinkley said Charles will have to offer his own take on these ideas.
He added: “The subject of the speech will be American exceptionalism, American history, the importance of the American-British alliance, and some memories of the past.” “But also in terms of the love affair that the two countries share with each other, even though it goes through the rocky cliffs from time to time.”