King Charles will of course develop his own relationship with the President in private as Head of State. He will doubtless in public express sympathy and concern about the attempts on the President’s life, stress the long standing friendship and deep collaboration between the two countries and welcome the success of the USA as she celebrates 250 years of independence. The government’s support for his State visit is wise, as the UK must be well represented at the 250th celebration and the UK/US relationship needs some diplomatic stimulus after some bad disagreements between the Prime Minister and the President. The King can transcend or avoid the politics.
In practice the King will be given detailed briefing and draft speeches as he is there as the nation’s representative. In our democracy that means he must be loyal to the government’s line. This will pose substantial problems, as the PM has allowed large divides to grow between the US and the UK on a wide range of issues.
- Chagos The President thinks it wrong to give them away to an ally of China and to a country which has signed a Treaty banning nuclear involvement. The UK needs US agreement to amend the founding Treaty for the joint base on Diego Garcia, which the US is understandably unwilling to grant.
- Use of US bases on UK territory. The PM’s temporary banning of use of bases like Diego Garcia and Lakenhall did huge damage, as the US pays for these bases on UK soil for joint defence and protection and could easily pull out of them if they cannot use them as they wish.
- The Falklands. The President wrongly seeks to help Argentina. He does not seem to understand the Falklands are UK territory with a self governing population that vote 99% to remain British.
- Energy policy The President thinks the UK undermines its national security and economy by refusing to use its own oil and gas and turning to imports.
- Defence The UK has not set out how it will get to the new more stretching targets for defence spending by NATO members which have been reasonably requested by the US. The UK will need to explain the current incompetence where the world’s 6th largest defence budget which does provide 2 aircraft carriers, 6 destroyers and 7 frigates is unable to put a single ship into the Gulf to help, and struggled to get one to Cyprus where our base was under attack.
- Trade The UK agreed one of the best trade deals with President Trump but then threw away the good will with its digital tax on US companies, its threatened cbam carbon tariff on US goods, and its extra regulations on US digital success stories.
- Iran The UK has not given military support to the need to stop Iran getting a nuclear weapon or to impede Iran financing and training terrorist groups in Yemen, Lebanon and Gaza.
- Ukraine The US thinks the UK and EU have got in the way of negotiating a peace and have helped prolong the war whilst not themselves providing enough support and military aid to Ukraine to win.
So what should the government tell the King to say? The King should help them get over the truth about Falkland islands democratic wishes and explain that the Falklands government is allowing exploitation of the oil and gas offshore where the President should approve. It would be good if the government chose this moment to announce it was abandoning the bad idea of giving Chagos away, so the King can reassure the President this important base will remain open for use. The King could start the repair job over normal use of US bases on UK territory before the US decides to pull out of some in due course. It would be wise to keep off energy and environment policy as the two sides are so far apart. On defence the King needs good briefing on when and how the UK’s force of naval vessels and planes will be properly available to contribute to NATO and wider alliance tasks. The aircraft carriers are not ” toys”, but they need to be more in use and better supported by UK vessels and planes. The UK needs to consider when and how to offer concessions over its future cbam tariffs, its digital tax and other impediments to US trade to get back tariff free trade more generally.
The UK needs to explain on Iran what its so called coalition of the willing could and would do to help create as well as to police a peace. On both Ukraine and Iran the UK has to see that to make a reality of its wish to have negotiated peace requires talking to and compromising with Iran and the Iran backed terrorists, and with Putin. Grandstanding in a critical way without spelling out how and why compromises will be made to bring success is far from helpful.
My main message to the government is do not send the King there empty handed. He needs some give in these UK positions to help mend the relationship.
April 27, 2026
You claim ‘The UK has not given military support to the need to stop Iran getting a nuclear weapon’. I seem to recall you saying you believe in the deterrent. So why should Iran not have a deterrent?
April 27, 2026
Because there is a very high chance they would actually use it… Simples…
April 27, 2026
Roger Bootle road in the Telegraph:-
“There is only one way to fund defence spending – and it’s not more borrowing
It isn’t rocket science; the reality is that welfare costs have gone completely out of control”
That and ditch net zero and turn doom loop economics into virtuous circle – but Labour are in scorched Earth mode now three more years!
April 27, 2026
LL,
Not sure about your first line. So I guessed it was ‘Roger Bootle is surely correct in today’s Telegraph’.
April 27, 2026
I presume you are aware of this :-
‘ Roger Paul Bootle was born in Watford.He read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Merton College, Oxford’
Reply Studying PPE is not a crime and there are many ways of doing it. People go on to learn many more things after they have graduated.
April 27, 2026
Iran wouldn’t see it as a deterrent but a means to obliterate Israel and threaten the West. A religion that believes in martyrdom is a threat to the whole world.
As for what the King should give Trump, we really have nothing to offer. No armed forces to speak of, unwilling to stop a daily invasion by military aged mainly Muslim men. A government led by unelected human rights cowboys intent on persecution of our military.
I think Trump will see this once great country as a joke.
April 27, 2026
We are not quite a complete joke yet, still just about the 5th or 6th largest economy – but in three years time? But Starmer and Labour and the last last 8 PMs have certainly been been dire socialists (with the exception of Truss who was removed by the Blob and Sunak’s Tory MPs.
We need to take Tumps helpful advice – control the borders, get a decent defence policy, restore free speech, ditch net zero and drill, frack & mine. And Britain Needs a New Restoration by David Starkey see the video. But is will not be easy after three more years of this truly appalling government.
The source of law needs to be restored to the people from the dire blob, international bodies, the rule of lawyers and dire Quangos like the Climate Change Committee, English Nature…
April 27, 2026
I should have thought it obvious that since Iran’s declared intention is to eliminate Israel and the Jews from the earth, it wants nuclear weapons to help fulfil this aim. If it were not sponsoring terrorist attacks on Jews and Christians Iran would be left in peace. Even the IRGC knows this.
April 27, 2026
The main task of the Kings visit should be to avoid reporters asking difficult questions that can lead to further embarrassment. It all needs to be properly stage managed. No questions after speeches etc.
I am not sure there is much the King/government can or will offer Trump.
There is not a lot we can do to stop Trump putting his foot in it again either. Diplomacy is not his strong suit.
April 27, 2026
In other news, today is the start of the trial of two Ukrainians and one Romanian who firebombed Keir Starmer’s home and cars –
Court 2 Old Bailey. Judge – The Honourable Mr. Justice Garnham.
Strangely nothing in the mainstream media about this.
April 27, 2026
Nuclear weapons are a deterent when both sides understand and fear the idea of Mutually Assured Destruction. The Irans don’t want a detetent, they want a weapon that can destroy Israel and that can be used to intimidate and threaten others. There is nothing about their previous history that would suggest otherwise. Frankly even to suggest this is extremely naive.
April 27, 2026
Because the country is run by nutters who think they will have a better time in heaven as a reward for destroying the infidel.
April 27, 2026
Recently our PM announced an investment of £50,000,000, not on industry or something that would give a good return, he is funding efforts to cut out the rays of the Sun, with particles released from airplanes to reflect heat back into space. All for alleged net-0.
Anybody with half a brain could see how dangerous this is and it could so easily go very wrong, triggering unwanted effects.
No wonder our weather has been so volatile, such seeding has been reported on for a while now, so God knows what damage has already been done.
NO prime minister! We don’t want or need the sun blocked because you imagine that will help the fight against alleged net-0. It seems that labour PMs have always been too interested in technological solutions, but in this case, like so many others, seeding has not been fully tested for likely side effects or even analysed fully, meaning they are creating adverse effects and also keeping the weather cool, because of a whim and a dream.
April 27, 2026
SB,
I’ve found this idea, of deliberately ‘polluting’ the atmosphere, a rather undeveloped concept. If it is now thought practical that adding a clouding agent to the air will reduce land temperatures, then perhaps we have cleaned the air in recent years too much, and in fact our earlier, more polluted air was in fact protecting us. Worth investigating?
April 27, 2026
A little bit warmer or more sun would actually be a net benefit on average! Especially for the damp and cloudy UK more solar power from the panels then too.
April 27, 2026
SS,
I would have thought it was obvious why Iran should not have a nuclear weapon… The Iranian regime is a fanatical regime, whose vowed intent is to wipe Israel from the face of the Earth. It is believed by most sane people that Iran would use such a weapon to achieve that vowed intent.
I accept that The USA are the only nation to have used an atomic bomb in anger.
April 27, 2026
The only one so far!
April 27, 2026
Does anyone think that if the Falklands were ever invaded again Starmer or Rayner or Miliband… would or would even try (or be able to) recover it?
He is no Churchill and no Thatcher – his deals on Chagos, the Chinese Embassy, Gibraltar, NI, the spying prosecutions show his anti-British and anti English agendas. Anyway his doomloop tax to death economic angenda and Ed Net Zero lunacy means we will never even be able to afford to.
April 27, 2026
What should the King tell Donald Trump, don’t worry Mr President in a couple of weeks we will be free of our PM Starmer and hopefully the rest of the liebour party
April 27, 2026
Starmer may go but the party will cling to their huge majority (gifted to them by the dire throw the towel in Sunak) under an even more deluded leader. A Scorched Earth policy for 3 more years! Leave as big a hole as possible for the next lot so they get all the blame! Tie up the next lot in as many knots, as weak an economy and with as much debt as possible. That will be the agenda – it has already started.
April 27, 2026
Plus dynamically aligned to the dire EU lunacy.
April 27, 2026
@Mick – even you should know by now even if Labour get removed from every Council next week, it will not be Starmer’s fault. It will be the fault of those that haven’t keep to the ‘Plan’. Some maybe shuffled after the ‘Kings Speech’. Think about the King will in essence be pronouncing that it is the Governments ‘Plan’ above all else that must be obeyed
April 27, 2026
We shouldn’t be sending the King as some kind of emissary in this day and age. Our politicians should do that. In any case, Trump does not listen, he dictates. He has also recently assassinated good faith negotiators on foreign territory and a head of State in their own territory.
Our king is likely to survive this one, he should enjoy the sights and banquets, and suffer the whims of his host politely.
As for the political wishlist, we should carefully realign away from the dying, dangerous US empire.
April 27, 2026
You say “As for the political wishlist, we should carefully realign away from the dying, dangerous US empire.”
This appalling government does indeed seem to be doing as China and the EU wishes at every turn. Starmer Government seems to despise the UK and England (a word he cannot even say) in particular!
Let us hope Labour are all wiped out – as far as possible on May 7th – they certainly deserve to be destroyed.
April 27, 2026
Exclusive: Hermer insulted British war heroes
Attorney General sent email attacking Iraq war troops after his ‘witch hunt’ was exposed as a lie.
In the Telegraph today.
April 27, 2026
@Wanderer – how is the USA a danger to you. Or another way is there anything the USA is doing that is more damaging to your life and wellbeing that isn’t being topped by the UK Parliament, this Government, this PM.
As Lord Redwood pointed out yesterday a dying USA has more than twice the GDP of the UK, it has lower taxes, lower food prices it is able to mount defences against countries that profit from the illegal drugs trade and hinder tyrants that are perusing Nuclear weapons. What is this UK Parliament and its Government doing it cant stop even rubber boats, it persecutes it armed forces in the court for doing their duty. the UK Parliament wont even protect its own people, its own shipping, its own territory – that is the definition of a dying State
The USA is not causing UK prices to rise the UK Parliament has and is still doing that, the USA isn’t causing the death of UK jobs, the USA isn’t raising UK Taxes, UK energy prices and many more. To suggest that those things have happed because of recent external events is stretching things a bit. They were all set in place by the UK Parliament and its Government long before.
April 27, 2026
@Wanderer – who is dying?
From today media
“Tariffs imposed by Sir Keir Starmer mean Britain is now paying the highest price for steel in Europe.
The cost of buying steel in the UK has risen by a quarter since the start of the year, according to data experts MEPS International, far outstripping increases of 10 to 15pc in the EU.”
reply The very high tariffs are a desperate attempt to stem the large losses they are making at Scunthorpe.
April 27, 2026
The main point on Iran is where the Government and the King stand on Islam. The King is decidedly wobbly and Starmer’s Gang is clearly on the side of the Islamists as demonstrated by its policies on Israel, immigration, justice and policing. Neither will or would defend Christianity. Starmer has told the Muslims of Britain he will not take action against the islamist regime in Iran. The King even refused to defend Christianity in his coronation oath. The Islamification of Britain is proceeding at pace and there is no opposition from the government, nor the Church of England. I would not be surprised were Trump to ask the King whether Britain is still a Christian country, for he has good reason to doubt it. Ideally the King would be able to reply, “Of course”, but the factual record shows otherwise.
April 27, 2026
Good morning.
I do not believe our King should tell President Trump anything. The last time we tried to do that, 250 years ago this year, we were dent packing.
I do want our King to tell TTK something at their next meeting. “Don’t forget to pick up your P45 on the way out.”
April 27, 2026
Tricky because it’s pretty clear the King agrees with Starmer on some of those policies, particularly shutting down oil and gas exploration. Best he avoids political issues entirely.
April 27, 2026
The King’s visit to the USA is simply political theatre. he has no role in any of the issues you mention John.
His presence in Washington is an example of ‘who can we send to help rebuild the broken bridges’?
The choices ate becoming increasingly few. Clearly Starmer is not suitable to send on any diplomatic mission. His ineptitude in all matters diplomatic is clear for all to see thanks to his Scandleson affair.
We can’t send our permanent royal resident in the USA as he is on an antipodean excursion and has been declared persona non grata by the entire establishment for his kiss and tell all tendencies.
We can’t send our BBC star performers team either, as they have all been declared fake and or anti Trump activists.
That just leaves Chuck and Cam to perform a diplomatic miracle made all the more difficult by a school teacher from California who managed to sprint past the presidents security team and gate crash dinner….
April 27, 2026
RE,
‘ The King’s visit to the USA is simply political theatre.’
Exactly. Plus a hope that Trump will be mollified by some pomp and ceremony.
April 27, 2026
“The King’s visit to the USA is simply political theatre.”
Agreed.
I believe the King will have difficulty papering over the cracks in the US/UK relationship.
Maybe the next Labour PM will have some ideas ?
April 27, 2026
“What should the King tell Donald Trump?”
“I am going to exercise my residual constitutional right, unprecedented as it may be, to dissolve Parliament and initiate the calling of a General Election. It is not only plain that my Prime Minister has proved himself unfit for the role, it is also plain that his government has exceeded and continues to exceed its mandate in an intolerably destructive manner, so much so that it would be irresponsible of me to turn my back to it.”
April 27, 2026
I expect that what Charles Windsor SHOULD tell the President and what he WILL tell him will be diametrically opposed. Two-Tier appears to have deliberately alienated Trump over a range of issues. I think wrecking the “special relationship” is part of his plan to get us back into the EU.
We already know that when it comes to the Net Zero Insanity, Charles is an enthusiastic supporter and wants “his subjects” to be made colder, poorer, less mobile and to live frugal lives (unlike him). I find it strange that a man, who claims to be so concerned about the environment, is so supportive of the windmills and solar panels which are blighting our land and seascapes and are slaughtering thousands of seabirds, raptors, bats etc every year.
April 27, 2026
He should be introduced as King of The Falklands Islands.
April 27, 2026
Not everything is a deal, not everything is democratic.
You overplayed your hand against Russia and you overplayed your hand against Iran.
Deploy drones to shoot Iran’s small boats and missiles threatening the Straight or back down completely.
Economics is the new global warfare and you are losing.
April 27, 2026
Frankly I’m not sure ‘The King’ has the capability of debating serious isuues with Trump. Tweedledee and Tweedledum spring to mind.
April 27, 2026
The King should tell the President that our current government only received 20% of the available vote at the last election and current polling shows they will be out at the next GE. They do not represent the country. But it’s not so much what the King can tell the President as he must follow the government line but what the President can tell the King. For instance, the President should try to change the King’s embarrassingly dreadful and risky highly political views on climate change and tell him to stop making himself, and consequently the country, look very silly with false predictions as he did in 2008 when he said there would be no Arctic summer ice within 7 years and in 2009 saying we only had 96 months to save the planet from a climate catastrophe.
April 27, 2026
There’s no point in telling President Trump anything because by next week he will have forgotten and will be on a different tack – just get the King home safely from that mad place.
April 27, 2026
I think that King Charles will not have an opinion on anything. Unless it is the environment, religion or Woke issues he has a record of keeping clear.
He is said to want to be the King of all peoples, of all religions. A bit like Kier Starmer being a Global Statesman
April 27, 2026
In 1776, some 80% of US citizens in conflict were from the British Isles, so we were largely part of the same family in disagreement. Here is an AI interpretation of that as if spoken by King Charles to the USA:
“Today I am pleased to reflect upon the enduring friendship between our two nations — one shaped not only by history, but by habit, trust, and a certain familial candour. We began, as families sometimes do, in disagreement; yet over the centuries we have learned the greater art of partnership, drawing strength from shared language, shared institutions, and a shared instinct for liberty under law.
Our cooperation has seldom been more practical than in those quiet places where maps show only distant islands or modest runways, yet where vigilance and responsibility are jointly borne. From the Atlantic approaches to the far reaches of the Indian Ocean, and in the steadfast communities of the South Atlantic, we have discovered that geography matters less than resolve — and that mutual security is best preserved when it is shared.
We have also learned that prosperity, like peace, benefits from open exchange: in commerce, in innovation, and in the stewardship of energy for a changing world. Together we seek to balance growth with sustainability, resilience with affordability, and national interest with global responsibility — tasks that neither of us can accomplish alone.
At moments of uncertainty, whether in Europe’s east or in regions where tensions run deep, our countries have stood not merely as allies, but as steadying influences — encouraging diplomacy where possible, firmness where necessary, and always the rule of law. This is not a coincidence; it is the natural expression of values we recognise in one another.
Today I am pleased to reflect upon the enduring friendship between our two nations — one shaped not only by history, but by habit, trust, and a certain familial candour. We began, as families sometimes do, in disagreement; yet over the centuries we have learned the greater art of partnership, drawing strength from shared language, shared institutions, and a shared instinct for liberty under law.
Two hundred and fifty years on from the birth of American independence, our relationship is no longer defined by inheritance alone, but by choice — renewed daily in defence, trade, science, and the countless personal ties between our peoples. Families, after all, may disagree; yet they remain bound by memory, humour, and affection. So it is with our nations: close enough to speak plainly, confident enough to differ, and united in the quiet certainty that our friendship endures.”
Reply I removed the repeated paras.
April 27, 2026
We don’t know what the King says in private to the President and long may it remain so. But let us hope he finds a way to re-emphasise his governments are only temporary. Then he can concentrate on the important matters to do with defence and security. There, our two lots of military and security personnel appear to be co-operating as well as ever, as they do with Israel. It would be good if he could undo some of the damage done to out trade relations.
April 27, 2026
‘My main message to the government is do not send the King there empty handed’
2TK what king? what head of state? Surly the likes of Lord Redwood know I am the adored ruler, that is why I will be elected time and time again. Didn’t he hear my loyal supporters over the weekend, I am here to win the election in 3 years time. Didn’t Lord Redwood hear my supporters preach that I have been exonerated, I am the right path, the direction.
Those that suggest differently are the extreme right wing terrorists
April 27, 2026
Apols for unintended repetition in cut and paste.
April 27, 2026
King Charles has some foolish ideas, but he is not a fool. He is more than capable of relating to President Trump in a calm and friendly manner. As to what the Government should brief him on, I have no doubt the King will be well informed, but equally that he can handle any sensitive conversations with the President.
Don’t forget he has spent his adult life meeting world leaders and influential people.
Both the King and Queen will do an excellent job.