TOM BOWER: Charles isn’t any stranger to controversy, however might be the one European chief Trump can belief sufficient to debate the reality: Inside the Palace’s determination to push forward with King’s journey to the US
Amid the unprecedented controversy surrounding King Charles’ first state visit to the US, all the coverage has focused on the diplomatic fall-out from Britain’s reluctance to support Donald Trump’s war in Iran, the president’s contempt for Keir Starmer and the suggestion that America might dispute Britain’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
But the question we should all be asking is: ‘What’s in it for Trump?’
Following the scandalous security lapse that led to the third attempt on his life in less than two years, the president has rarely looked more vulnerable.
On the home front, he faces growing discontent over the cost of living, as rising prices at the pump caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz exacerbate existing concerns over increases in the cost of household essentials.
Meanwhile, the White House’s mixed messages over the war on Iran and its seeming inability to plot a way out of the conflict are steadily eroding the president’s MAGA base.
With his popularity spiralling, it could even be said to be fortuitous for Trump that the King is arriving in the US just as his vulnerability is so nakedly exposed.
The beleaguered president will be grateful for the opportunity to stand beside a steadfastly resilient monarch, who epitomises courage and reliability.
Donald Trump and King Charles at a Windsor Castle banquet during the US President’s state visit in September last year
If ever there was a moment in recent history when Britain’s monarch could play a key role in restoring diplomatic harmony with another nation, it is with this visit to Washington.
Charles may have a past littered with setbacks and controversy, but he now comes across as a pillar of wisdom in an unstable world.
Immersed in international politics for 60 years, the King has developed the sort of bedside manner that will enable him to discuss America’s woes with Trump in private, just as he does every week with Britain’s prime minister.
As a man above politics who has learned from long experience, Charles is probably the only European leader Trump can trust enough to discuss the truth about the fissures he himself has created.
Suppressing whatever his own personal views may be of Trump, Charles will offer sincere reassurance to a president who cannot fail to have been shaken by his latest brush with death.
Our grasp on mortality, as Charles knows only too well from his own cancer battle, is fragile, especially for men nearing their 80th birthdays – Charles is 77 and Trump 79.
With his popularity spiralling, it could even be said to be fortuitous for Trump that the King is arriving in the US just as his vulnerability is so nakedly exposed
While they have few interests in common, they are bound by a common heritage – not least their love of Scotland.
Unlike a run-of-the-mill politician acting as a presidential head of state, Charles, with a lifetime’s experience of meeting thousands of people from differing backgrounds, has perfected the art of offering commiseration.
Tasked with mending the blistering wounds of the Special Relationship, Trump will be receptive to Charles’s balm. Reeling from all the events of the past two months, he will no doubt be more keen than ever to lean on the king’s reputation in a bid to restore his own prestige.
Tom Bower is author of Betrayal: Power, Deceit And The Fight For The Future Of The Royal Family
