The world is already preparing for the inauguration of Donald Trump, who will begin his second term as President of the US on January 20, four years after his previous term. And if there is a country that has rushed to make a move, without even waiting for President Biden's term to end, it is the UK. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stands out among the leaders who have spoken with the Republican the most since his victory on November 5. And, on the eve of Christmas, it was revealed that the Prime Minister had once again expressed his desire to "strengthen the close and historic ties" between the two countries - the famous special relationship between London and Washington for a century - and to work together not only to improve economic agreements, but also to coordinate in the face of challenges such as the war in the Middle East or the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Trump and Starmer agreed to meet "as soon as possible."
To achieve this, the British Government, like all its predecessors, will make use as much as possible of the soft power wielded by the Windsors. Especially with a US President who enjoys being courted by royalty.
"Our father and our entire family have tremendous respect for the Monarchy," recently emphasized Eric Trump, son of the Republican, to the Daily Mail, showering praise: "I think one of the greatest and most beautiful things about the UK is the royal family, what it represents, and what it symbolizes."
Donald Trump's mother was a Scotswoman who crossed the pond in 1930. He has often recounted the vivid memory he has of his mother glued to the television on the day of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. The admiration his mother felt for the monarch seems to have been sincerely inherited by him. "There was no one like her!" reacted the now President-elect to the sovereign's passing in 2022, highlighting her "generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humor," defining her as a "beautiful lady."
Meeting with the Prince of Wales
The first chapter in the mutual courtship between the Windsors and Trump in this new era took place in early December, in Paris. The President-elect attended to participate in the festivities for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, an event that brought together around forty international leaders, including Prince William, representing King Charles. It did not go unnoticed that Trump only held bilateral meetings with the host, President Macron, and the Ukrainian Zelensky, and, in a gesture of utmost deference, with the British heir, with whom he shared a friendly chat at the UK embassy. "He looked very, very handsome. He's a good guy and he's doing a fantastic job," Trump highlighted to the media about the Prince of Wales.
The arrival of the tycoon at the White House in 2017 did not sit well in London, nor in almost any European chancellery. The UK was entangled in a nightmare, unable to reach an agreement with Brussels for Brexit to materialize. Trump pushed as much as he could for the British authorities to break ties with the Twenty-Seven. And in July 2018, the magnate and his wife, Melania Trump, set foot on British soil, in response to an invitation from Prime Minister Theresa May.
The couple had the opportunity to meet face to face with Queen Elizabeth II, who welcomed them at Windsor. Trump did not hide his excitement, nor his boorish manners, so far from the stately protocol that the greatest queen in British history was accustomed to, whom he puzzled on two occasions: first, by making her wait 10 minutes - unforgivable to be late for tea at five - and then, almost lunging at the fragile monarch without waiting for her to extend her hand to greet him.
But what lingered from that trip was Trump's indignation, feeling hurt in his pride by not being invited to a State visit, with all the pomp, but only to an official one.
Queen Elizabeth II, alongside Trump, during his State visit to the UK in June 2019.AP
Downing Street was forced to rectify such a snub. And a year later, the Trumps returned to the UK, this time received with all honors. Or almost. Because the visit was not without controversies. Almost everything that could go wrong, went wrong. To start with, the US President had not even landed in London when he labeled its mayor, the Labour leader Sadiq Khan, as "incompetent, dumb, and stupidly unfriendly," angered by an article in the press where the mayor had described Trump as "a global threat behaving like a 20th-century fascist." Neither the then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn nor Meghan Markle attended the gala dinner, among others. Harry's wife apologized for her recent motherhood, although she would have little desire to sit next to the leader she had called "divisive" and "misogynistic" before becoming a duchess. And, to top it off, the British Parliament denied the President the opportunity to address the Chambers, an invitation usually extended to the most distinguished leaders during their State visits.
The significant changes now and the great interest in entertaining the Republican are evidenced by reports in the British media that the current Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, has already stated that he would not hesitate to invite the US President to address both Houses of Parliament, unlike the boycott led by his predecessor, John Bercow. Another anticipatory move for a possible State visit in the making.
It is difficult to imagine harmony between two such antagonistic figures as Donald Trump and King Charles III. Politically, they are leaders with very different ideologies. For example, the monarch has been a staunch activist for decades in the fight against climate change, while the Republican is a denier, willing to boost fossil fuel production and even withdraw the US from the Paris Climate Accords; and while the sovereign has a deeply humanitarian view of a challenge like immigration - he considered the controversial Ruanda Plan deplorable - Trump threatens to start his new term with mass deportations, a complete paradigm shift in immigration policy. And personally, the Buckingham resident is unlikely to have forgotten some of Trump's blunders when he was a famous magnate far from politics, such as when he suggested he could have slept with Princess Diana, or when he wrote on social media that Kate Middleton was solely responsible for being photographed topless by the paparazzi, because "she shouldn't sunbathe naked." Nevertheless, Charles III is now king, accustomed to composure and making the best of things, and will surely make every effort to please the one who reigns over the entire globe.
One last collateral issue that can measure Trump's harmony with Buckingham: the controversial visa of Prince Harry in the US. It is a thorny issue that has been lingering since 2023 when the Heritage Foundation questioned the legality of granting residency to the second son of Charles III, as he had admitted to drug use, something that seemed incompatible with his permission from Immigration. So far, the Biden Administration has blocked the release of Harry's file. But the Heritage Foundation hopes that things will change with Trump's arrival. The Republican's aversion towards the wayward prince and his wife, Meghan Markle, is no secret. Although it is most likely that the new president will choose to use his prerogatives to continue protecting Harry, so that he can continue to enjoy his quiet residence in California. It would be a gesture from the White House to Buckingham. After all, now it is about strengthening the special bilateral relationship.