The US visit by King Charles III was a risk and challenge that he grasped, a palace aide said on Sunday as the monarch returned from a widely praised trip.
Charles left for the UK from Bermuda on Saturday following what a senior royal aide called a historic visit to the United States, aimed at healing strained ties between Washington and London.
The highlight of the four-day visit was the 77-year-old king’s speech to US Congress on Tuesday, where it was 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 of great importance, the aide involved in the visit told reporters.
The king urged the importance of NATO and called for a ‘just and lasting peace’ in Ukraine, despite US President Donald Trump’s critical stance on the bloc and Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This was a measure of how much he personally cares” and proves that he will always be guided by the truth," the royal aide said.
His words won praise from Trump’s opponents, with senior Democrat Gregory Meeks hailing the king’s impassioned call for a renewed commitment to NATO.
And the speech appeared to have gone down well with Trump too.
The president told journalists on Friday, “Charles is just a great person. He’s a high-quality person. I love the job he did in Congress."
The rapport between the king and president continued as they met behind closed doors in the Oval Office, the royal aide said with an awful lot of warmth and laughter amid serious topics.
By contrast, Trump has repeatedly lambasted Prime Minister Keir Starmer, particularly over his stance on Iran.
The palace aide denied any awkwardness over the differences in warmth of relationship, stressed the king’s visit was on the government’s request and stated there is not a competition between the monarchy and Downing Street.
On the contrary, the king and queen have been able to help the government, the aide said, and the king himself viewed the US leg of his trip as particularly positive.
“What looked like risk and challenge was also a phenomenal opportunity. One that the King grasped in both hands,” the aide added.
