“Oh wow,” Trump said as he carefully read the letter in front of hushed aides and journalists, before turning to the cameras and describing the British monarch as “a beautiful man, a wonderful man.”

It proved the ultimate icebreaker. From then on, Trump and Starmer were all smiles and handshakes. Starmer left with the promise of a potential trade deal and was even hailed by Trump as a formidable negotiator. “The prime minister and I have gotten off to an outstanding start,” Trump later said.

Britain has often deployed its monarchy to smooth over awkward diplomatic moments. Over recent decades, the monarch has hosted a series of world leaders, including several dictators, as the British government wields the mystique of a thousand years of inherited power to foster goodwill with countries around the globe.

Nowhere has this proved more vital than the U.S. As the “special relationship” between the two nations becomes ever more lopsided, with U.S. economic and military might far outstripping Britain’s, the monarch is a key soft-power tool to both keep American presidents interested in coming to London and create a warm environment for hardheaded negotiation. As head of state, the king’s role is purely ceremonial. The British government makes policy decisions and organizes visits.

‘I just need to make sure his signature is on that,’ Trump said after receiving the letter from King Charles III. Photo: kevin lamarque/Reuters

With Trump this has gone to another level, British officials say. He and his family were hosted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019, during a state visit that the president has repeatedly said he greatly enjoyed. Trump has spoken of his regard for the late queen, whom his Scottish mother much admired. He also has a fondness for Charles, whom he made an honorary member of his Mar-a-Lago club back in the 1990s.

Getting the president back in front of the king and his son Prince William was a key plank in keeping Trump from straying too far from the special relationship, British officials say. This is particularly important as Britain looks to ensure the U.S. doesn’t disengage from underpinning European security with its military might. The U.K. also doesn’t want to end up in a trade war with the U.S., its biggest trade partner after the U.K. left the European Union in recent years.

Buckingham Palace said that the visit will take place “when diaries allow.” Palace officials say that the event will likely be held in Windsor Castle because Buckingham Palace is being refurbished. In his letter, King Charles suggested to Trump that he could also drop by ahead of the state visit should the president be visiting his golf course in Turnberry, Scotland.

“A detour to a relatively near neighbour might not cause you too much inconvenience,” the king wrote. “An alternative might perhaps be for you to visit Balmoral,” a castle the royal family owns in Scotland.

Britain’s offer to Trump is indeed historic. In the postwar era nearly all U.S. presidents have had a state visit. However, second-term U.S. presidents usually have to make do with tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Castle, as was the case for George W. Bush and Barack Obama. A state visit is a much grander affair where visitors are greeted with gun salutes and are hosted at a banquet in their honor.

Trump made his first state visit to the U.K. in the summer of 2019, before the reign of King Charles began. Photo: Pool/Zuma Press

Offering Trump this privilege has raised some eyebrows. Trump is threatening to annex Canada, where King Charles is head of state. The British monarchy has also been a steadfast supporter of Ukraine, a country whose sovereignty risks being undermined if Trump doesn’t give it lasting security guarantees as part of any deal to end its war with Russia. And King Charles is an advocate for protecting the natural world, while Trump wants to “drill baby, drill.” (They may find common ground over the estranged Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan. “I’ll leave him alone,” Trump recently said, on whether he would intervene in a dispute over the prince’s U.S. visa. “He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.”)

The monarchy has navigated American awkwardness before. In 1976, Gerald Ford took the queen onto the dance floor and the band began playing “The Lady Is a Tramp.” In 2009, Michelle Obama put her arm around the queen, who isn’t supposed to be touched. In 2019, the queen nimbly sidestepped past Trump when he appeared to break protocol and walk in front of her.

The glitter dust of monarchy clearly continues to work. “Am I supposed to read it right now?” Trump asked as Starmer handed him the letter. “I just need to make sure his signature is on that,” he said, turning over the page, “otherwise it’s not quite as meaningful.”