Bombay Durpun - Britain's King Charles meets Trump in bid to salvage ties

Behind the warm welcome for Charles and Queen Camilla in front of the cameras lay a deepening rift in the so-called "special relationship" between Washington and London over Trump's war in Iran.

In warm Washington sunshine, Charles and Trump exchanged handshakes and apparently friendly remarks outside the White House South Portico which reporters were unable to hear.

First Lady Melania Trump, wearing a primrose yellow suit, gave Charles and Camilla kisses on both cheeks. Camilla was wearing a Cartier brooch with the British and US flags in platinum set with rubies, emeralds and diamonds.

Trump -- whose fascination with the British royal family is a key point of leverage for UK diplomats -- then led Charles inside, briefly touching his arm.

The Trumps are hosting the royal couple for tea and will later give them a tour of the beehives on the White House's carefully manicured lawn, which Melania Trump has recently revamped.

The four-day visit had been meant to celebrate the historic ties between the two close allies for the 250th anniversary of US independence from the British monarch's ancestor George III.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday the visit would "honor the long-standing and special relationship."

- 'No Churchill' -

But it has ended up with Charles, 77, having to wage a diplomatic charm offensive after Trump, 79, bitterly criticized London's refusal to help Washington with the Iran conflict.

The royal trip is also going ahead despite a shooting at the glitzy White House Correspondents' Dinner attended by Trump on Saturday. A suspect accused of trying to assassinate the president was arraigned in court on Monday.

As a result, an already meticulously choreographed visit with limited media engagements to avoid unscripted moments is now being held under even tighter security than before.

The royals arrived earlier at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, where they were greeted on the red carpet by children carrying bouquets.

On Tuesday, the Trumps will meet Charles and Camilla in the Oval Office and hold a state dinner. Charles will also become the first British monarch to address Congress since his mother, the late queen Elizabeth II, in 1991.

The royals will visit New York on Wednesday, touring the 9/11 memorial, before departing Thursday for Bermuda for his first visit to a British overseas territory as monarch.

But as the US leader's war with Iran drives a rare wedge between London and Washington, the visit has generated considerable controversy.

Trump has repeatedly lambasted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his war opposition, alongside his government's immigration and energy policies.

The US president has branded Starmer "no Churchill" -- referring to wartime premier Winston Churchill, who coined the "special relationship" phrase.

Starmer has publicly criticized the war, but defended the state visit. An early April YouGov poll found 48 percent of Britons support cancelling it.

- 'Elephant in the room' -

Trump has said King Charles's visit could help repair transatlantic relations.

"He represents his nation like nobody else can do it," Trump told Fox News on Sunday.

The US visit also represents a personal test for Charles, who has been battling cancer in recent years.

But the king showcased his diplomatic skills during Trump's state visit to Britain last September, with Royal Holloway University of London monarchy expert Craig Prescott noting he is "generally very good" at navigating such occasions.

Prescott added that Charles would likely address the war -- the "very big elephant in the room" -- in a coded way in his speech to Congress.

Meanwhile, the scandal around late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein threatens to encroach on the highly choreographed tour.

Charles has faced a major crisis over the friendship his brother, the former prince Andrew, had with the late billionaire, who died in prison in 2019.

R.Khurana--BD