Last week’s State Visit saw Donald Trump and King Charles all smiles, getting warm compliments and easy laughter as they wrapped up their meeting at the White House.
Trump hailed the monarch as “the greatest King” and repeatedly described him as “fantastic,” capping off a surprisingly cordial encounter on the global stage.
During their first meeting back in 2019, Charles was still Prince of Wales, hosting Trump for tea at Clarence House reportedly fell flat.
According to former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham and detailed in Susan Page’s book The Queen and Her Presidents, Trump later complained the conversation had been “terrible,” saying it focused on “nothing but climate change.”
Even Melania Trump reportedly joked that her husband had been “very bored.”
Now King, Charles stepped onto the world stage with renewed authority during a high-profile State Visit that took in New York, Washington D.C., and Virginia, before continuing on to Bermuda solo.
The visit marked one of the most significant diplomatic moments of his reign so far and perhaps his most closely watched.
At the heart of it was a landmark address to the U.S. Congress, where the King received multiple standing ovations, earning praise for his message on global cooperation, sustainability, and shared values.
