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It is a visit designed around a shared history. When King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive in the U.S. next week to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence they will officially, Buckingham Palace says, “recognise the shared history of our two nations; the breadth of the economic, security and cultural relationship…and the deep people-to-people connections which unite communities.”
Yet there is plenty of different context front and center as this important diplomatic trip is about to start; from President Trump’s criticism of the UK and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, to the ongoing question of how theroyal family addresses the Epstein scandal. We break down the potential challenges awaiting Charles and Camilla on this high-stakes visit.
The Special Relationship Under Strain
You don’t have to look far today to find the “special relationship” between the U.S. and the UK as beingdefinedas under strain. Indeed, it was Winston Churchill whofirst coined the phraseduring a speech in 1946 in Missouri alongside President Truman. Yet in recent weeks, President Trump hasevokedWinston Churchill’s name to criticize Keir Starmer over his stance on the Iran war.
Trump toldSky Newsrecently when asked about the special relationship, “How is the relationship? It’s the relationship where: when we asked them for help, they were not there. When we needed them, they were not there. When we didn’t need them, they were not there. And they still aren’t there.” And he also said that the trade deal struck last year—where most UK goods imported into the U.S. were given a 10% tariff—could “always be changed.”
When it comes to the royal family, however, Trump’s rhetoric is very different. “He’s a great gentleman, a friend of mine. He’s a fantastic person,” he said of King Charles. It seems that the President’s strong affection and reverence for Queen Elizabeth—passed on from his Scottish mother—remains central to his view of monarchy.
Of course, the reality is that the King is visiting the U.S. entirely at the request of the Prime Minister. And while he can use that famous “soft power” to build diplomatic relationships that are distinct from politics, he is fundamentally there as a figurehead for the UK’s interests. The program for the visit has been carefully designed to avoid putting King Charles in a position where he could be at risk of being put on the spot over anything political. Unlike when Keir Starmer spoke with Trump in front of the cameras in the Oval Office, any discussions with King will be in private and the words he says publicly will be well-prepared.
“I really fear for what Trump might say or do while our King is forced to stand by his side. We cannot put His Majesty in that position,” Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey told the House of Commons earlier this month, urging the visit to be called off. However, the Prime Minister defended the decision to continue with the trip. “The monarchy, through the bonds that it builds, is often able to reach through the decades on a situation like this; and the purpose of the visit is to mark the 250th anniversary of the relationship between our country and the United States, and that is why it is going ahead,” he replied.
From the Palace’s perspective, the focus is on the relationship between nations and peoples. “It is a relationship that has survived many presidencies and of course many reigns, and will no doubt continue to do so long into the future,” a royal source told media ahead of the trip.
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Epstein Scandal
The pressure the monarchy is under over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Jeffrey Epstein has been front and center in relation to this trip. Congressman Ro Khannawrotea letter to the King asking him to meet privately with Epstein survivors “so they may speak to you directly about the ways powerful individuals and institutions failed them.”
Palace sources addressed this ahead of the visit. “We fully understand and appreciate the survivors' position, but can only reiterate that our position is clear that anything that could potentially impact on ongoing police inquiries and assessments, and any potential legal action that could result from that, would be to the detriment of the survivors themselves in their pursuit of justice,” a royal sourcesaid.
However, it is highly unlikely that discussion around the subject is closed. Queen Camilla is expected to meet other survivors of male violence during the trip, and one prominent UK politician, Baroness Harman,saidshe should also meet Epstein victims. “If she refuses to see them when she is seeing other victims of abuse, it wouldn’t sit with what she does all the time, and which she’s been doing, actually, since long before she became Queen,” the Baroness said.
Queen Camilla in the U.S.
This trip is notable as the royal couple’s first time in the U.S. as King and Queen. Their last visit was in 2015 as Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall—a title Camilla used instead of the Princess of Wales title that was once Diana’s.
While no longer vilified by the public, polling suggests that Charles and Camilla’s popularity remains far usurped by Princess Diana’s in the U.S. Onepollfrom 18 months ago found that Diana remained the most popular royal amongst Americans, with 76% of people holding a favorable view of her versus 42% for Charles and 30% for Camilla.
Indeed, while the negative reaction to them as a couple is largely historical, interest inThe Crownsaw some of the anti-Camilla sentiment revived. When season four of the Netflix drama came out in 2020—covering Diana’s unhappiness in the royal family—Charles and Camilla turned off comments on their social media following a wave of abuse directed at Camilla.
In the UK, Camilla’s popularity has grown significantly since she first joined the royal family in 2005. She took the approach of keeping her head down and focusing on supporting her husband through her work and it has paid off. She has received a lot of praise from people she has met individually at events, something to watch for when she greets the public in the U.S.
The King and Prince Harry
While a State Visit at the request of the government is not a time to be popping in to see family, there is no doubt that the King’s presence on U.S. soil will turn thoughts to the fact that his second son has now made the country his home. The last time father and son saw each other was in September last year, but there are still many signs that tensions continue between Harry and Meghan and the rest of the royal family.
Harry was not mentioned by either the King or President Trump when Trump made his historic second State Visit to the UK, also last September. Politicians and dignitaries are unlikely to raise the subject, but it’s possible that a member of the public could mention the family’s U.S. residents when the King greets people at engagements in Washington, New York and Virginia.
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