King Charles is set to embark on a crucial overseas visit as tensions between the US and UK escalate.
Last September, the royals hosted US President Trump and the first lady at Windsor Castle to soften ties and advance some trade deals that were important to the UK government.
In recent developments, there was a tense exchange over Trump’s approach to the Middle East conflict between the US president and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmar.
Political commentator Iain Dale noted that the “special” relationship between the two nations has been “shattered” and is at a “historic low” following Trump’s “insults” to the country.
Keir has refused to support Trump’s war, which did not sit well with the US president. Although, Trump had high praise for the monarch and expressed his enthusiasm for receiving him with a grand gesture.
“The monarchy is part of what is known as Britain’s soft power, how we influence world leaders and other countries through the monarchy,” he explained.
“And this visit is absolutely key to harnessing that soft power.”
There are some strict rules and special prohibitions in place since the visit took months of preparation. The briefing for this visit had been “longer than any other state visit I have ever undertaken.”
Since American presidents do not bow, there is a middle ground on “bowing and curtsying” and there is coordination to prevent someone from breaking formal guidelines or a “clash of colors or patterns” in their wardrobes.
There is also a policy on gift exchange at both the White House and the Palace. Intensive research is carried out on what gift should be presented to the dignitaries, because one wrong move can cause great upset and jeopardize the entire visit.
