King Charles is preparing to cross the Atlantic for what insiders are calling a “high-stakes” visit to the United States — one that could define his reign as monarch.
On March 31, Buckingham Palace announced that the king and Queen Camilla would travel to the U.S. in late April to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence. The ceremonial event has received calls to be called off due to President Donald Trump’s criticism of the British government for failing to support military operations involving Iran, The Associated Press reported.
The visit will also mark the second time that a British monarch has addressed Congress. The first was the king’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who delivered a speech at the Capitol during a state visit to the U.S. in 1991.
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“The question is, that special relationship that Elizabeth helped forge [between the two nations], does it survive?” Susan Page, author of “The Queen and Her Presidents,” told Fox News Digital. “This is an open question, and the hope is King Charles can do something to preserve it.”
“Queen Elizabeth’s commitment to the United States came from the beginning,” said Page. “From her father, from her first prime minister, Winston Churchill, who told her to stay close to the Americans. And that is a lesson that King Charles has also learned.”
“There is no relationship more important to Great Britain than its relationship with the United States,” she shared. “And that’s been through times of great alliance, as in World War II, and times of great division, as we see now. I think that is part of his mother’s legacy that King Charles very much reflects.”
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The monarch’s visit follows Trump’s state visit to the U.K. in September. It was a glittering occasion seen as part of Britain’s effort to nurture the special relationship between the two countries.
Page noted that all eyes will be on the 77-year-old monarch and whether Charles can bring a sense of warmth and steady diplomacy during a period of turbulence. It’s a similar challenge that his late mother faced early in her reign — and overcame.
“We’re going to be so interested to see King Charles come to Washington,” Page explained. “He’s been here, of course, many times. This is the first time as king. And I’m struck by some of the parallels with the first time Elizabeth came to Washington as queen.”
“That was a point just after the Suez Crisis had really torn the United States and Great Britain, really dividing them,” said Page.
“President Eisenhower was quite angry about what Britain had done in Suez. And here this young queen came, her first visit to Washington as head of state. And she was tasked with trying to smooth those troubled waters, which she did. So we look at Charles and his first state visit to Washington as king, and it’s another fraught time.”
“There’s this enormous division between the United States and the United Kingdom and NATO,” Page pointed out. “It’s also a time when Jeffrey Epstein has put new pressures on the future of the monarchy.”
In October, the king stripped his disgraced brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, of his princely titles after weeks of pressure to act over his relationship with the late sex offender.
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“On both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, we see great difficulties, treacherous waters for King Charles to navigate,” said Page. “And the hope, I think, by Great Britain and by many in America, is that he’ll navigate them in a way that makes things more stable and less divided between the United States and the United Kingdom.”
British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that this is a defining moment for Charles to assert his leadership and cement his legacy.
“Given the current dire condition of the ‘special relationship,’ this is a most high-stakes trip,” said Fordwich. “Should all go well, the king could go down in history as rectifying the current crisis by enhancing continuity. It’s imperative that he connects culturally, avoids any controversy, while reinforcing a shared purpose and history.”
“King Charles has the opportunity to overcome the current tensions, to be the unifying figure, making him more than relevant, even beyond a stabilizing symbol, but more to be mission-critical,” Fordwich shared. “He could, single-handedly, put back on track the transatlantic bond.”
“There’s immense pressure on the king regarding his legacy,” Fordwich warned. “Should the trip not be deemed a success, he’ll be undermining not only how he goes down in history, but the duration of the special relationship that is at stake.
“If he is received well and makes appropriate remarks when he addresses Congress, he could further the transatlantic bond, endearing himself to Americans by rising above party politics and current disputes.”
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital that Charles is up for the challenge.
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“This is a high-stakes tour, but it will be choreographed to the last detail,” he said. “These occasions invariably are, and events such as a dinner at the White House and an address to Congress are unlikely to contain embarrassing moments.
“We also know the president has an affection for the royal family, as his mother was a keen monarchist. He is the only president to have had two state visits to Britain. It would, undoubtedly, mean a lot to him to host the king and queen on the 250th anniversary of America’s independence from Britain.”
“The king will have a private meeting with the president, and this is likely to be cordial,” said Fitzwilliams. “King Charles is also extremely experienced diplomatically. The personal royal touch is likely to be highly successful. This is Britain’s soft power on display. A four-day state visit will be physically demanding, but it’s extremely good news that the king, who is still fighting cancer, is up for it.”
“The king and President Trump have a warm relationship, furthered by the letter-writing that then-Prince Charles had with Trump when he was out of office after 2020,” Fordwich noted.
Charles and Camilla’s U.S. trip will include stops in Washington, D.C., New York City and Virginia, People magazine reported. While in D.C., the king and queen will participate in several events, including a private tea with Trump and first lady Melania Trump, as well as a formal ceremony at the White House and a ceremonial military review.
In New York City, the royals will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks later this year, the outlet reported. They will meet with first responders and the families of the victims.
In Virginia, the king and queen will attend a block party to celebrate America’s birthday. Charles will also visit a national park, while Camilla explores a farm to highlight the work of America’s horse racing industry.
After their U.S. tour wraps up, the royals will travel to Bermuda. It will be Charles’ first trip as monarch to an overseas British territory, the outlet reported.
During her reign, the late queen embarked on four state visits to the U.S.: in 1957, 1976, 1991 and 2007.
