King Charles III visits the United States in a tense context

The challenge facing King Charles III during his visit to the United States next week is, as always, to live up to the example set by his mother.

The late Queen Elizabeth II impressed Congress in 1991 with a speech celebrating the common democratic traditions of the UK and the US, quoting Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, and emphasizing the deep ties between the two nations.

These themes will also top the agenda for King Charles as he marks the 250th anniversary of the United States and seeks to ease tensions related to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s refusal to support President Donald Trump’s war against Iran, said historian Douglas Brinkley, a specialist in presidents at Rice University in Texas.

“We must always distinguish between the UK government and the kings and queens of Great Britain, who always come to try to give a good image,” Mr. Brinkley told the Associated Press. Politics come and go, prime ministers and presidents come and go, but there is something deeper in the special relationship between the United States and the UK.

Charles and Queen Camilla will begin their four-day visit on Monday, where they will have tea with President and First Lady Melania Trump, then visit the White House beehive in honor of the king’s environmental causes. The official arrival ceremony will take place on Tuesday, with a 21-gun salute, fanfares playing the national anthems of both countries, and a contingent of American troops marching past the king. The ceremonies will be followed by a meeting between President Trump and King Charles.

Behind the pomp and circumstance, however, lies a carefully orchestrated diplomatic event, as with all royal visits, at the request of the British government. Mr. Starmer resisted pressure to cancel it after Mr. Trump downplayed the sacrifices of the British army in Afghanistan and personally criticized him for not backing the US in Iran.

Despite these tensions, Mr. Trump continued to speak warmly of King Charles.

“History has shown that President Trump really tries to make a good impression every time he deals with the British royalty,” said Mr. Brinkley. “And I’m sure it will be the same this time.”

Since 1939, when King George VI became the first British monarch to set foot in the country’s former colony, there has always been a special excitement whenever the royal family visits the United States.

This first visit took place while World War II loomed over Europe. The royal family traveled along the east coast and joined a “picnic” at President Roosevelt’s private residence in Hyde Park, New York. “The king tastes a hot dog and asks for more,” declared the New York Times.

But the highlight was when the royal family went to Mount Vernon to lay a wreath on the grave of George Washington, the first American president. This gesture showed respect at a time marked by isolationism.

“People saw the inevitable coming and knew it would be crucial for the US and Britain to stay strong to fight against Hitler,” said Barbara Perry, a specialist in presidents at the Miller Center at the University of Virginia.

Fraternizing over hot dogs had broader implications, helping the royal family connect with the general public as well as with its leaders. After war broke out in September 1939, Queen Elizabeth, wife of George VI and mother of future Queen Elizabeth II, wrote to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to express how moved she was by letters from Americans who were sending small sums of money to support the British forces.

“Sometimes, during these terrible months, we felt rather alone in our fight against evil, but I can honestly say that our hearts were comforted to know that our American friends understand why we fight,” she wrote.

Queen Elizabeth II strengthened these relationships by making four state visits to the US during her 70-year reign. She helped President Gerald R. Ford celebrate the bicentennial of the US in 1976 and met with President George W. Bush in 2007 as British and American forces fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

These trips aimed to ease tensions and remind both parties of their common bonds.

King Charles’s visit will be no exception. It will include a commemoration of the September 11, 2001 attacks, a ceremony honoring fallen soldiers, and an event attended by Queen Camilla to mark the 100th anniversary of British author A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh stories.

The royal family will not meet with Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, despite calls for the king to address his brother’s ties to the convicted sex offender. It is also not planned for Charles to meet his son, Prince Harry, who has been critical of the monarchy since stepping back from his royal duties and moving to California.

Charles’s speech to a joint session of Congress offers the opportunity to convey the message that long-term friendship is more important than temporary disagreements.

Danica Kirka, The Associated Press