While the existence of monarchy in diplomacy feels out of step with the modern world, Britain’s King Charles III and the Royal Family seek to charm U.S. President Donald Trump during his upcoming state visit. BBC describes a “royal charm offensive” designed to dazzle with “guards of honor, flypasts, historic carriages, a lavish banquet, pomp and pageantry.” The goal? To leverage Trump’s fascination with royalty to influence him on such issues as Ukraine, trade tariffs, and China.
The U.K. government is betting big on Trump’s well-documented love for monarchy. Professor Anna Whitelock notes, “Trump loves the monarchy and the Royal Family. It’s a potential diplomatic ace card for the U.K. government.” Trump himself has fueled this narrative, recalling in Trump: The Art of the Deal how his mother was “enthralled by the pomp and circumstance, the whole idea of royalty and glamor” during Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. This visit, packed into a day and a half of royal spectacles at Windsor, is tailored to stroke his ego and impress him with ostentatious pageantry.
