KING CHARLES’s visit to the United States was a “risk and challenge” that he “grasped in both hands”, a palace aide said on Sunday as the monarch returned from the trip.
Charles left for the UK from Bermuda on Saturday after what a senior royal aide described as a “historic” visit to the United States aimed at strengthening ties between Washington and London.
The four-day visit included a speech by the 77-year-old king to the US Congress on Tuesday, the first such address since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, spoke there after the Gulf War in 1991.
The speech, marking 250 years since American independence, was “high stakes”, the aide involved in the visit told reporters.
The king spoke about the importance of NATO and called for a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine, despite US president Donald Trump’s stance on the bloc and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
This was “a measure of how much he personally cares” and showed that he “will always be guided by the truth”, the royal aide said.
‘Warmth and laughter’
His remarks drew responses from Trump’s opponents, with senior Democrat Gregory Meeks praising the king’s “impassioned call for a renewed commitment to NATO”.
The speech also appeared to be well received by Trump.
The president told journalists on Friday that Charles “is just a great person. He’s a high quality person. I love the job he did in Congress”.
The king and president also met in the Oval Office, where there was “an awful lot of warmth and laughter” alongside discussions on serious matters, the royal aide said.
Trump has also criticised prime minister Keir Starmer, including over his stance on Iran.
The palace aide said there was no issue over differences in tone, adding that the king’s visit was at the request of the government and that there is “not a competition” between the monarchy and Downing Street.
The aide said the king and queen “have been able to help the government”, and that the king viewed the US leg of his trip positively.
“What looked like risk and challenge was also a phenomenal opportunity. One that was grasped in both hands by the King,” the aide said.
‘A personal triumph’
British media also commented on the visit, with The Daily Telegraph calling it “a triumph” and a “reassertion of our shared values”, while The Times described it as a “star-spangled success”.
“I think it was a personal triumph” for Charles, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told AFP, referring to the king’s “superb” speech to Congress, with “brilliant jokes”.
“He got it right and every nuance seemed perfect. It pleased everybody,” Fitzwilliams said.
The visit was described as a “boost” at a “very difficult time for the monarchy”, the royal expert said.
The king is undergoing cancer treatment and has faced a rift with his son, Prince Harry. This year also saw his brother, the former prince Andrew, arrested over ties to late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump responded to the visit by lifting whisky tariffs, described as a trade concession, in honour of Charles.
Fitzwilliams said there should be caution over future outcomes for the UK, referring to Trump’s “unpredictability”.
Trump “loves all things British royal. But not necessarily the British government,” he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
