Washington (United States) (AFP) – Britain’s King Charles III will receive a full ceremonial welcome from Donald Trump at the White House and make a rare address to Congress on Tuesday as he seeks to mend a transatlantic rift over the Iran war. On the second day of a four-day state visit, Charles is expected to call in his speech for “reconciliation and renewal,” with the so-called special relationship between Washington and London under strain.
Much of the day will be given over to pomp and ceremony, with King Charles and Queen Camilla receiving a traditional arrival ceremony that’s expected to feature a 21-gun salute and an inspection of troops. The US leader and First Lady Melania Trump will then host the royals in the Oval Office behind closed doors. In the evening, they will return to the White House for a grand state dinner.
The first day of the trip featured a more informal welcome, with the Trumps treating Charles and Camilla to tea and cakes in the White House before showing them beehives on the famed lawn. In a symbolic moment just two days after a shooting at a gala dinner attended by Trump, the US president showed off a painting of the assassination attempt he narrowly escaped in 2024. The royals then attended a garden party at the British embassy, with cucumber sandwiches and scones on the menu.
But the second day will feature perhaps the most public-facing moment, when Charles becomes the first British monarch to address Congress since his mother, Queen Elizabeth, in 1991. It comes at a hugely delicate moment, with Britain trying to repair ties after Trump raged over London’s refusal to help with his war in Iran.
In the 20-minute speech, Charles is expected to appeal to Trump in guarded terms, saying that defending common democratic ideals is “crucial for liberty and equality” in a time of international challenges. The king will also stress the importance of the long-standing US-UK alliance, in a visit which marks the 250th anniversary of US independence from its British ancestors. “Time and again, our two countries have always found ways to come together,” he is expected to say.
Charles, 77, will stress “reconciliation and renewal” over the past 250 years that has given rise to “one of the greatest alliances in human history.” Charles is also expected to give a shorter speech at the state dinner in the White House. It is expected to be held in the State Dining Room – whose small size prompted Trump to start construction on a massive and controversial $400 million ballroom.
The UK government is hoping to capitalize on Trump’s fascination with the royals. His mother hailed from Scotland, and Trump received a gala state visit to Britain last year. But it will have its work cut out to placate the mercurial Republican. Trump has repeatedly lambasted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his war opposition, alongside his government’s immigration and energy policies. Starmer has publicly criticized the war but defended the state visit. An early April YouGov poll found 48 percent of Britons supported cancelling it.
The royals will visit New York on Wednesday, touring the 9/11 memorial, before departing Thursday for Bermuda.
© 2024 AFP
