Administration

Trump looks to dazzle royals while UK’s ‘special relationship’ in peril

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by Sarakshi Rai and Julia Manchester - 04/26/26 6:00 AM ET

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by Sarakshi Rai and Julia Manchester - 04/26/26 6:00 AM ET

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The U.K. will seek to smooth over its “special relationship” with the U.S. next week, when it deploys King Charles III for a state visit with President Trump.

The royal tour comes Trump has lambasted the country’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not being supportive of the U.S. war in Iran and its reluctance to help Washington control the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite Trump’s criticism of Starmer, the president has only had praise for the king and the British royal family.

“President Trump has always had great respect for King Charles, and their relationship was further strengthened by the president’s historic visit to the United Kingdom last year,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said.

“The president looks forward to a special visit by Their Majesties, which will include a beautiful State Dinner and multiple events throughout the week,” she continued.

Trump said in an interview with the BBC on Thursday that he believes Charles’s visit could “absolutely” help mend relations between the White House and Downing Street.

But the relationship remains in a fragile state.

On Thursday in the Oval Office, Trump threatened to put a “big tariff” on the U.K., which is taxing U.S. tech companies. A Pentagon memo surfaced Friday that laid out potential ideas for punishing countries that have not shown adequate support for the U.S. in its war with Iran, including reviewing the U.K.’s claim to the Falkland Islands.

The visit also takes place as Starmer is facing issues domestically over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the U.S. and his subsequent firing over mentions in the Jeffrey Epstein files. And Starmer has stood firm, as recently as Thursday, on keeping his country out of Iran, citing the United Kingdom’s “best national interest.”

Ed Owen, former U.K. government adviser and fellow of the Atlantic Council, told The Hill that the king’s visit comes at a time when the political relationships between London and Washington are particularly fraught.

“His visit will, I hope, act as a timely reminder of why the strategic relationship between the U.K. and U.S. in a world of insecurity and instability is so important.”

A U.K. official also highlighted the soft power that British royals wield, bringing a kind of unique sparkle and engagement. They use that influence to shine light on and celebrate others who do great work to drive the U.S.-U.K. relationship.

“What the Windsors do in these moments of tension is really valuable, and especially for a president like Trump, who is so clearly enamored by royalty,” said Elizabeth Holmes, an American journalist who covers the British royal family and the author of “HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style.”

“I would assume that the president is going to be on his best behavior here. He’s not going to want to do anything to look any sort of way in front of the royals,” she continued.

While members of the royal family are publicly apolitical, the king was outspoken on a number of political issues prior to becoming king, including environmental issues.

Holmes said Charles, who is also set to address a joint session of Congress during the trip, will likely lobby for British interests in a more subtle manner.

“There is a lot going on in global politics right now, and I would be surprised if he did not take this opportunity to, in some way, shape or form, press forward Britain’s interests,” she said. “The Palace is always encouraging people to read between the lines of his speeches. His speeches speak for themselves.”

The visit marks the second royal visit this month from a NATO member country amid Trump’s growing rift with the international body, demonstrating the diplomatic tightrope royals are walking in meeting with Trump. Earlier this month, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands attended a White House dinner with Trump and first lady Melania Trump.

Charles’s state visit has been two years in the making and predates both Trump’s and Starmer’s time in office.

The plans in place to celebrate America’s 250th birthday hope to mirror the pomp and circumstance of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s visit in July 1976 as part of the bicentennial celebrations. They traveled to Philadelphia, Washington, Virginia, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Charles and Camilla will travel to D.C. and New York, as well as Virginia, where they will meet with Appalachian cultural groups.

The king and queen will also be