King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived earlier this week to carry out a number of scheduled events, including meetings with President Donald Trump, a congressional address, and public commemorations.
Their visit comes amid a strained relationship between the president and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whom Trump has lambasted for not supporting the war against Iran.
"This is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with," the president has said.
But Trump appears to have a fondness for the king, who has tried to maintain an apolitical posture, and King Charles was well received when he delivered an address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill Tuesday.
Dr. Glen Duerr, chair of history and government and professor of International Studies at Cedarville University in Ohio, tells AFN why "there's a tension."
"Keir Starmer, when he was the opposition leader, was very, very critical of President Trump, and often unfairly so," Duerr relays. "When he was elected as prime minister in July of 2024, he took on a different tone, and for a time, it looked like the Trump-Starmer relationship would work out fairly decently."
"But it soured," Dr. Duerr adds.
He says many Americans are especially concerned that European NATO allies, including the U.K., have not been fully cooperative on Iran-related issues.
U.S. frustration with NATO allies has grown over disagreements about burden-sharing and operational support during the conflict, with Trump repeatedly criticizing European partners for not providing sufficient military backing.
The U.K. initially declined to allow U.S. forces to launch strikes from British bases, which contributed to tensions, before limited access was later granted.
Trump has publicly rebuked NATO allies, arguing they are not meeting alliance commitments and warning of consequences for what he views as inadequate cooperation.
So, King Charles' visit comes at a very important time.
"Starmer has not been able to really initiate and develop a good relationship with Trump, and that is to the detriment of the British economy and the British position in the world, I believe," Dr. Duerr submits. "But King Charles has managed, I think so far, to really charm President Trump and the First Lady."
