Britain’s King Charles III met Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, kicking off a high-stakes state visit shadowed by transatlantic tensions and a fresh alleged attempt to assassinate the US president.
Behind the warm welcome for Charles and Queen Camilla in front of the cameras lay a deepening rift in the “special relationship” between Washington and London over Trump’s war in Iran.
In warm Washington sunshine, Charles and Trump exchanged handshakes and apparently friendly remarks outside the White House South Portico, which reporters were unable to hear.
First Lady Melania Trump, wearing a primrose yellow suit, gave Charles and Camilla kisses on both cheeks. Camilla was wearing a Cartier brooch with the British and US flags in platinum set with rubies, emeralds and diamonds.
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Trump — whose fascination with the British royal family is a key point of leverage for UK diplomats — then led Charles inside, briefly touching his arm.
The Trumps are hosting the royal couple for tea and will later give them a tour of the beehives on the White House’s carefully manicured lawn, which Melania Trump has recently revamped.
The four-day visit had been meant to celebrate the historic ties between the two close allies for the 250th anniversary of US independence from the British monarch’s ancestor, George III.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday the visit would “honor the long-standing and special relationship.”
But it has ended up with Charles, 77, having to wage a diplomatic charm offensive after Trump, 79, bitterly criticised London’s refusal to help Washington with the Iran conflict.
The royal trip is also going ahead despite a shooting at the glitzy White House Correspondents’ Dinner attended by Trump on Saturday. A suspect accused of trying to assassinate the president was arraigned in court on Monday.
