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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
National
David Smith in Washington

Thankless task awaits Charles as soft power of crown meets mercurial Trump

Graphic illustration of large head of Trump speaking, and King Charles appearing to walk across a tightrope toward him.
The king will travel to Washington for a private tea and state dinner with Trump at a moment when the ‘special relationship’ is at its lowest point in 70 years. Composite: Rita Liu/The Guardian/Getty Images

Some expect a masterclass in soft power. Others warn of a brutal humiliation. Few in the US will envy King Charles, a royal whose entire life has been governed by protocol, next week when he faces a man who glories in smashing it.

The British king will travel to Washington for a private tea and state dinner with Donald Trump at a moment when the “special relationship” has been plunged to its lowest point in 70 years by the US president’s war in Iran and belittlement of the prime minister, Keir Starmer.

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