LONDON (AFP) – King Charles III begins a visit to the United States on Monday that includes a sensitive diplomatic mission to ease tensions between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while avoiding the Epstein case, which is a thorn in the side of the royal family.
Officially, Buckingham Palace is presenting this four-day visit, organized at the request of the British government, as an opportunity to “celebrate the historic ties” between the two countries on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of US independence.
But rarely has a royal visit sparked so much controversy. Although Donald Trump is the son of a Scottish woman and a big fan of the royal family, and described the king as a “wonderful man” Thursday on the BBC, he has intensified his attacks on his British allies since the end of February, when London first expressed its reservations about the Israeli-American strikes on Iran.
The US President attacked Labor Prime Minister Keir Starmer in early March, saying, “We are not dealing with Winston Churchill.” He also mocked the British army and belittled its contribution to the international coalition that fought the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
These attacks prompted some MPs, such as Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, to call for the visit to be postponed. This opinion was supported by 48% of Britons, according to a poll conducted by YouGov at the beginning of April.
– “Encrypted” speech in Congress –
In this context, Trump appeared in a conciliatory mood on Thursday, as he told the BBC that the visit could “certainly mend…the special relationship” between the two countries.
The king, who previously demonstrated his “soft power” skills during Trump’s official visit to the United Kingdom in September 2025, is expected to use Independence Day to gently address current tensions.
Cree Prescott, a specialist in the political role of the monarchy at Royal Holloway University in London, expects that Charles III will place these tensions in the context of “250 years of bilateral relations” that have inevitably witnessed “fluctuations,” in a speech he will deliver on Tuesday before both houses of the US Congress, which is the first by a British king since Elizabeth II’s speech in 1991.
“He has to mention it… but I imagine he will do so in a somewhat cryptic way,” he adds.
Although he did not ascend to the throne until 2022, the 77-year-old king, who is still receiving treatment for cancer, is well acquainted with these diplomatic practices, and has proven to be a “better speaker” than his mother, Elizabeth II, according to this expert.
During his visit to Canada in May 2025, when Donald Trump alarmed his neighbors by declaring that Canada should be the 51st US state, the British king, who is also Canada’s head of state, received a standing ovation when he spoke of a “strong and free” Canada.
– Epstein is a taboo topic –
The Epstein case and the friendship that the king’s brother Andrew struck up with the late sex offender, hang over this visit that will take Charles III and Queen Camilla to New York on Wednesday to visit the September 11 Memorial.
The scandal, which has tarnished the reputation of the royal family for more than 15 years, has seen new developments in recent months, with the publication of embarrassing photos and emails of Andrew.
King Charles III recently intervened by withdrawing all of his brother’s royal titles, including the title of prince. He vowed to let “justice take its course” after Andrew was arrested in February, on suspicion of leaking confidential documents to Jeffrey Epstein.
Although the former prince has not been charged with any crime yet, and has always denied any wrongdoing, he is still under judicial investigation.
Many US lawmakers have called on Andrew to testify before Congress, but to no avail.
Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, who is very active in the case, wrote a letter to King Charles III requesting a special meeting with Epstein’s victims. The family of Virginia Giuffre, Epstein’s main plaintiff who died in April 2025, also filed a similar request.
Buckingham Palace rejected the proposal, considering that such a meeting might “harm the ongoing investigations or the proper course of justice.”
But Khanna described the justification as “ridiculous,” adding in an interview with The Times that the king “should at least mention (Epstein’s victims) in his speech” to Congress and “acknowledge the trauma these young women suffered.”
He believed that the visit had been arranged to avoid embarrassing the king regarding this matter.
The official program leaves no room for surprises, and only photographers will be allowed to photograph the meeting between Trump and Charles III in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
