King Charles navigated a diplomatic minefield in the US and even brought some joy

Before King Charles and Queen Camilla touched down in the U.S. last week, there was a lot of tension. The visit had been in the planning essentially for 50 years, ever since Queen Elizabeth came in 1976 for the bicentennial. But given President Trump’s criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer over Iran, many felt it shouldn’t go ahead.

When it was made clear it would happen, it was an obvious diplomatic tightrope and the stakes felt very high. To add to that, security questions were thrust into the spotlight at the last minute with a shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner. One thing the trip definitely didn’t seem like it would be was a lot of fun.

Yet over the course of their four day visit, which started at the home of Air Force One and ended with Camilla on a Virginia farm, the royal couple totally shifted the narrative. The King’s historic speech was a defining moment, in which he somehow managed to deliver an address that delighted both President Trump and his critics. But perhaps even more surprising was the fact that, amidst all the tension, intense security and media scrutiny, Charles and Camilla seemed to find real moments of connection and even joy.

King Charles is applauded by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) as he arrives to address a Joint Meeting of Congress at the U.S. Capitol.

The speech was probably the most high-stakes and defining of his reign. Sitting in the House of Representatives chamber that day, it was immediately obvious that it had gone down well. There were several bipartisan standing ovations—some for obvious references such as the 250th anniversary and others perhaps more unexpected, such as the mention of preserving Nature. There was an immediate takeaway that the King had delivered on emphasizing the importance of long-term ties—the key purpose of the trip.

But dig a little deeper (and indeed everyone now has) to find plenty of hidden meaning. “How the King charmed the US while taking digs are Trump,” one headline read. Another described his speech as being “laced with plenty of shade.”

Central points picked up on in this vein included the King’s championing of NATO, an organization the President has threatened to leave, and the very specific mention of an increase in UK defense spending that Trump has called for. Charles’s decision to directly quote “my Prime Minister” Keir Starmer did not go unnoticed. And perhaps the most enthusiastic standing ovation of the whole speech was for the King’s mention of the importance of “the principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances.”

King Charles and Queen Camilla at the U.S. Capitol.

Yet, if the address in any way got President Trump’s back up it was not in the least bit noticeable. Whether that is testament to the speech’s diplomatic prowess or simply a result of the President’s seeming intrinsically-held regard for the British royals is not quite clear. But ultimately the address delivered perhaps more than could even have been hoped; people from all sides of the political spectrum felt it resonated with them.

The King also managed to raise more than one laugh, and he repeated this feat at his second speech of the day at the State Dinner. There, he joked to the U.S, "if it wasn't for us, you’d be speaking French.” French President Macron joined in on X, posting, “That would be chic!”

The trip will ultimately be remembered for the Congress address and the ceremony that surrounded it. But those of us on the ground got to witness a visit that also encompassed so much more. After the pageantry and grandeur of the events in the capital, Charles and Camilla spent two days in New York and Virginia that had a completely different tone.

Charles feeds chickens during an event at Harlem Grown in New York City.

The King fed chickens with children at an urban farm in Harlem. “I like your hair,” one child told him. “Do you? Good,” the King replied. When he asked one child a question about what he was doing and the child replied, “I don’t know, I just got here.” The King laughed and replied, “So have I!” In Virginia, Charles met “Buddy” the Bald Eagle in Shenandoah National Park and was described by one community leader as a “gentle soul.”

Meanwhile, Queen Camilla convened New York society on the importance of reading and presented a Roo doll from Winnie the Pooh to the city’s public library. In Front Royal, Virginia she held a lamb called Charles, describing it as “very sweet.” During a visit to a thoroughbred breeding farm, she fed horses carrots and discussed her own racehorses’ ups and downs with fellow enthusiasts.

Trump and Charles in the Oval Office of the White House.

Rave reviews of the trip have been coming thick and fast since the King left the U.S for Bermuda and Camilla flew home. “The week King Charles stepped out of the late Queen’s shadow,” was the Daily Mail’s verdict. The Daily Telegraph described it as a “triumph of soft-power diplomacy.” And the BBC wondered, “Have the royals got their mojo back from US State Visit?”

President Trump announced on the King’s departure that he would be removing tariffs, previously imposed at 10%, on whisky in honor of the trip. A spokesperson for the King said he would be “raising a dram” to the decision.

Plenty of skepticism remains about whether or not the visit will actually provide long-term tangible benefit for the UK. And questions will continue to be asked about what exactly the “special relationship” looks like today. However, the King and those around him can return home knowing that this visit has secured its place in history as a time when the monarchy more than met the moment.