It was arguably the most important and high-stakes diplomatic mission of his life – and the King returned from his triumphant state visit to the US having demonstrated his power as a global statesman.
© Saul Loeb - Pool/Getty ImagesI was there to witness the monarch, accompanied by the Queen, win the hearts of Americans as he delivered a masterclass in soft diplomacy, charming President Donald Trump and seemingly shoring up the so-called “special relationship” between the UK and the US.
His performance will serve as a blueprint for years to come, and also provides a valuable reminder to critics of the royal family’s immense value on the world stage.
© AFP via Getty ImagesFollowing in the late Queen’s footsteps was always going to be daunting, but the King has more than proved himself a worthy successor.
Warm welcome
The four-day visit, which included a glittering state banquet at the White House in Washington DC, has shone a global spotlight on the monarch. And although the US is a country that still holds dear its memories of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, Camilla was received with warmth, respect and appreciation – something that has not always been a given.
Meanwhile, Charles’s confidence and easy wit were on display as he delivered a rousing speech to Congress to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It was only the second time in history that a British monarch had addressed a joint session of Congress, after Queen Elizabeth II in 1991.
Politicians from across the divide united to give him 12 standing ovations as he addressed some of the world’s most serious issues, including conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine and the importance of safeguarding the Nato alliance – topics that have divided President Trump’s administration from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
© Alamy Stock PhotoThe following day, during a visit to Harlem in New York, a woman took the King’s hand and told him: “Thank you for your speech to Congress; we needed that.” Smiling, he replied: “Well, I keep trying.”
The speech “offered a valuable opportunity to speak from the heart, to both the host, the nation and the world, celebrating all that remains special and important in this relationship”, a royal aide says.
It was a success not just because of “the feel-good factor it generated, however much the King and Queen were delighted to experience that throughout the visit”, but also because it mattered so much personally to the King.
“He always feels that he has a responsibility – a duty – to do everything he can to make the world a slightly better place for all people, if he is able,” the aide adds.
Global acclaim
The monarch’s words also received international recognition. Charles and his team have been inundated with messages of appreciation from global figures, which will have reinforced the decision to press ahead with the controversial visit during a time of strained relations between the two countries.
As one source close to the planning tells Best Quality Designer Handbag : “Those who saw this visit as being fraught with risk were looking down the wrong end of the telescope, because it was also a unique and wonderful opportunity.
“Yes, the timings were a little challenging, but no good thing comes without some degree of risk. And as the King said, when we think and work closely together, the benefits are felt across our own countries and far beyond.”
© AFP via Getty ImagesBy the time he and the Queen departed the country, the bond that has tied the UK and the US for centuries – and which had become increasingly fragile in recent months – appeared significantly stronger than when they had arrived.
Despite recent tensions, President Trump was clear that the countries’ “special relationship” should endure.
“In the centuries since we won our independence, Americans have had no closer friends than the British,” he said.
A royal aide says: “We were conscious that the visit was taking place at an important time, but we’re pleased to have celebrated such a landmark anniversary with the American people, and we’re grateful to President and Mrs Trump for their generous hospitality.”
Mutual respect
A mere seven months after Charles and Camilla hosted President Trump and his wife, Melania, at Windsor Castle during the President’s second state visit to the UK, the Trumps pulled out all the stops to return the favour.
The warm rapport between the President and the King was evident in their light-hearted banter – particularly when the former recalled, during a spectacular ceremonial welcome, how his mother, Mary, who hailed from Scotland, once had a crush on the young Prince Charles.
© Getty ImagesTo the King’s amusement, the President said: "I remember her saying very clearly: 'Charles, look – young Charles, he is so cute.’ My mother had a crush on Charles; can you believe it? I wonder what she is thinking right now."
In turn, the monarch teased the President later that day, in his speech at the lavish state dinner, by referring to his recent comments about the Second World War, as well as the US’s French colonial history.
“You recently commented, Mr President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German. Dare I say that, if it wasn’t for us, you’d be speaking French,” the King joked.
President Trump’s admiration for the royal family was in no doubt following a meeting between the two heads of state in the Oval Office of the White House.
“He’s a fantastic person,” the President later said of the King. “They’re incredible people, and it’s a real honour.”
As the Prince of Wales, Charles held talks in the Oval Office with President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden in 2015. Eleven years on, he was back in that most famous of rooms, with a different President. But his return, this time as monarch, showed the extraordinary continuity that the royal family provides.
© The Washington Post via Getty ImIn the 56 years since Charles first visited the US, the country’s head of state has changed ten times, but the UK’s only once.
It’s that longevity that has helped to build an enduring link between the two countries, despite the ebbs and flows of day-to-day politics.
President Trump could not have spoken more highly of the royal family, and the King praised the President and First Lady’s “courage and steadfastness” following an assassination attempt at the Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington the previous weekend.
The King and Queen’s visit, which took them to Washington, New York and Virginia, included a garden party at the White House, a visit to the 9/11 memorial in New York and a star-studded charity gala for The King’s Trust.
© Getty ImagesCamilla and Melania picked up where they left off last year. After the two couples reacquainted themselves on the first day of the visit, over tea in the White House’s sumptuous Green Room, the women headed outside to the tennis pavilion to meet students who were using AI-enabled glasses to learn about American history and the country’s “special relationship” with the UK.
Camilla wore a white Anna Valentine chiffon dress with black beaded embroidery, while Melania was elegant in a buttercream double-breasted wool crepe suit by Adam Lippes, paired with Manolo Blahnik snake pumps.
In the pink
The following evening, the Queen and the First Lady co-ordinated in pink for the state dinner, with Camilla wearing a deep pink evening gown by Fiona Clare and an amethyst and diamond necklace that had been given to Queen Victoria by her mother, the Duchess of Kent.
Melania wore a pale pink strapless Christian Dior Haute Couture gown with off-white Dior suede gloves.
© Getty ImagesMore than 100 guests included Amazon’s chief executive, Jeff Bezos, and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, the Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy, the UK’s home secretary, Yvette Cooper, the US Vice-President, JD Vance, and the President’s daughter Ivanka Trump.
The menu began with garden vegetable veloute, followed by spring-herbed ravioli and Dover sole meuniere. There were desserts of White House honey and vanilla bean cremeux, flourless chocolate gateau, almond joconde and creme fraiche ice cream.
In his speech, the King told guests: “The story of Britain and America is one of reconciliation, from adversaries to the closest of allies; not always, perhaps, following the straightest path. As you said yourself, Mr President, during your own state visit at Windsor Castle last year, ours is an unbreakable bond of history and heritage, culture and commerce, industry and invention – and we are determined to face the future together.”
© Getty ImagesThe following day, the King and Queen visited New York, where they paid tribute at the 9/11 memorial to those who lost their lives in the 2001 attacks. Located at the site of the World Trade Center, the memorial bears the names of the almost 3,000 victims, also honouring those who died in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
Camilla hugged Anthoula Katsimatides, who lost her brother in the terrorist attacks almost 25 years ago, as she and the King talked to and held hands with some of the victims’ loved ones.
© Getty ImagesWhile the King headed to Harlem to visit a non-profit organisation that transforms abandoned urban lots into sustainable farms, Camilla visited the New York Public Library for an event hosted by her literary charity, The Queen’s Reading Room.
© Getty ImagesShe read a Winnie-the-Pooh story to a group of local children and gave the library a Roo doll – the baby kangaroo featured in the stories – to add to their Winnie-the-Pooh collection.
She was joined by New York royalty: Vogue’s Dame Anna Wintour, the NBC host Jenna Bush Hager and the actress Sarah Jessica Parker, who walked down the steps of the library’s Astor Hall with Camilla, echoing the scene in Sex and the City in which her character, Carrie, was stood up by Mr Big on their wedding day.
Sarah later said of the Queen, whom she first met at Clarence House last year: “To have her shine a spotlight on reading and the relationship between a reader and a book, and how it changes and enriches lives and cultivates empathy and curiosity, I’m so grateful. And from Her Majesty, it means a great deal.”
© Getty ImagesAway from the crowds and famous faces, Camilla chatted to representatives of charities and organisations that support survivors of domestic abuse – a cause she has long supported.
Later, in an interview on NBC’s Today show with Jenna – the daughter of former President George W Bush – Camilla said that the trip had been “good fun”, but also a bit of a whirlwind.
“It’s been wonderful, and everybody’s been very kind and welcoming,” she said.
© Getty ImagesTheir Majesties rounded off their day in New York with a reception at Christie’s for Charles’s youth employment charity, The King’s Trust, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. They were joined by celebrity supporters including Lionel Richie, Stella McCartney, Iman, Ralph Lauren, Katherine Jenkins and Donatella Versace.
Honouring the past
They spent the fourth day of their trip in a small town in Virginia after stopping to pay their respects to the fallen at Arlington National Cemetery, one of the most significant sites of military remembrance in the US.
© Kevin Lamarque-Pool/Getty ImagesIn the town of Front Royal, thousands of people turned out to cheer for the royal visitors as they joined a traditional “block party” to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence.
The King and Queen came bearing suitably regal gifts: honey from the royal hives, as well as Coronation quiche and Victoria sponge cake, made in the British Embassy’s kitchen for the community pot-luck lunch.
Later, the King met rangers and indigenous leaders at the spectacular Shenandoah National Park, while the Queen visited a thoroughbred racehorse farm.
© Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesThe royal couple then said their goodbyes as Camilla returned to the UK while Charles travelled to Bermuda for the next leg of his trip.
In a message shared on their social-media channels and signed “Charles R & Camilla R”, they thanked the host nation for “the warmth of their welcome and kind support”, adding: “We leave a piece of our heart behind and take a little of yours back home with us. Until the next time… God Bless America.”
Before leaving Washington, there was a formal farewell from President Trump and the First Lady outside the White House – and a sense that this state visit could not have gone any better.
© Getty ImagesAs he stood next to the King, the President was heard to say: “He’s a great King. The greatest King, in my book.” Indeed, he later unexpectedly removed tariffs from whisky imports in tribute to the King and Queen, saying that the royal visit had “got me to do something that nobody else was able to do”.
High praise indeed, and an assurance that Britain's enduring relationship with its friends across the Atlantic is in safe hands.
Both Charles and Camilla departed in the knowledge that they had done their country proud at the end of a visit that had, by almost any measure, been a huge success.
© GettyThe King’s decades of preparation as a global statesman have come to fruition. He has fully grown into his role, complete with the credibility and confidence that comes with it, and holds a position of the highest esteem in the eyes of world leaders, just as his mother did before him.
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