Explainer 515: Has King Charles saved the special relationship?

Hitachi Energy is proud to partner with the Foreign Desk on Monaco Radio.

Powering Purpose is a new book resulting from the partnership between Hitachi Energy and Monaco.

It tells the story of the people and the technology leading the energy transition

and ushering in a sustainable and secure future.

Hitachi Energy and Monaco work together to provide inspiration on powering people's lives

and where to find the energy for change in the era of electrification.

Secure your copy now at monaco.com or in-store in Monaco outlets around the world.

And if you want to understand the role you can play in harnessing connections to ensure

a brighter, more sustainable and secure future, head to powering-purpose.com now.

Hitachi Energy and Monaco, inspiring the energy for change.

Music

It is, give or take, 250 years since the North American colonies rose in rebellion

against King George III.

Thereby, ensuring that American citizens would never again be subject to the eccentric

whims and vindictive caprices of an absurd and plainly unhinged tyrant who believed himself

above the law.

Mr. President, first lady, my wife and I are most grateful to you for your generous hospitality

as the United States celebrates this very special anniversary year of the Declaration of Independence.

This week, George III's great-great-great-great-great-grandson, King Charles III,

has been visiting what is now the United States. Relations between the United States and the

United Kingdom are better than they were in 1776. Exactly 250 years ago, General George Washington

Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army was preparing to defend New York from an anticipated

siege by the British. On April 29th, 1776, Washington wrote to his brother, John Washington,

with the latest. The works we have already constructed have put the kings' ships to flight.

For instead of laying within pistol shot of the warves and their centuries conversing with

hours, they have now gone down to the hook. Near 30 miles from this place, the last harbor they

can get to. And I have prevailed upon the Committee of Safety to forbid every kind of intercourse

between the inhabitants of this colony and the enemy. But though Charles and Queen Camilla have

been more warmly received than that, relations between the United States and the United Kingdom

are not good. Not since the Suez crisis of 1956 have the transatlantic allies been so publicly

at odds, albeit that time it was the United States expressing vexation with the United Kingdom's ill

considered endeavours to control a vital Middle Eastern waterway. The United States was not

consulted in any way about any phase of these actions, nor were we informed of them in advance.

In the circumstances I have described, there will be no United States involvement in these

present obstacles. Accordingly, it has become conventional wisdom that there is more riding

on this state visit than usual, that it falls to the king to revive what the UK refers to,

much more often than the US, as the special relationship.

Then you're going over to Congress and you're going to make a speech, it's going to make everybody

very envious of that beautiful accent of yours. Very elegant. He's a very elegant man.

It is a reasonable bet. US President Donald Trump is plainly entranced by the trappings

of royalty to the visible extent of appearing quite content that during his state visit to the UK

earlier this year, his carriage ride had to be undertaken around the grounds of Windsor Castle.

From the British public, less Charles have to tell him that mast gesturing with a clenched

fist in an up and down motion is a traditional local salute, which would not have been altogether

inaccurate in fairness. So there is more to this state visit than the usual stuff, though there

has been plenty of the usual stuff. In Washington DC, the Royal couple have been treated to tea at

the White House, a state banquet, a military review, and other ceremonial shindigs,

and Charles has addressed a joint sitting of Congress. They are also due in Virginia at

observances related to the looming semi-queen centennial of the Declaration of Independence,

and the September 11th memorial in New York City. Before returning to the capital to enjoy,

it may be reasonably imagined, yet more of President Donald Trump's morbid

soliloquies on the subject of windmills, or perhaps inquiries as to which side of one's

visage to best present for one's portrait on money. To be clear, this is not altogether

led in sarcasm deployed for satirical purposes, but a reference to the fact that one bill currently

before US Congress suggests putting President Trump on a special $250 note.

As for the questions that matter is at working, will at work, Charles has been at this

a while and knows what he's doing. As Prince of Wales, he was a frequent visitor to the US,

the first President to receive Charles at the White House was Richard Nixon 56 years ago,

legend insists that Nixon attempted to set Charles up with his daughter, Trisha.

Certainly, the King seems to have been confident enough to enjoy himself at least a little bit.

At the state dinner, he did present the President with the clever gift of the bell from the

decommissioned Royal Navy submarine HMS Trump. And should you ever need to get hold of us or just

give us a ring? But also cracked quite a good joke at the expense of the President's

grotesque ballroom plans. And I'm sorry to say that we British, of course,

made our own small attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814.

One for the major general Robert Ross heads there. And Charles's speech to Congress on Tuesday night

was far more barbed than it really needed to be, though it was very delicately done,

the kind of deft carve-up that doesn't really register with its victim

until they later realized there's a zed cut out of their shirt and their boots are full of blood.

Charles went big on NATO and its value to the US, on good fellowship between faiths,

on safeguarding the natural environment, on the virtues of fair trade,

and on the merits of institutional checks and balances that prevent heads of state from exceeding

the limits of probity, decency, and or sanity. Every such observation was a rebuke to President

Trump and would have been understood as such by Charles's subjects, if not necessarily by his host.

But on balance, mission probably accomplished, unless by some calamitous mischance,

President Trump hears this explainer and is enraged by the interpretation of the subtext.

Even if so, the UK still has one Trump-applicating ace remaining up its sleeve,

and it would be no surprise if, at some moment, of rancorous extremists between now

in 2028, it is reluctantly played. The honorary knighthood has been bestowed upon just three US

presidents, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush. And most alluringly for Donald

Trump, Barack Obama never got one for Monaco Radio and Andrew Muller.