King Charles Meets Trump, British Diplomacy overshadowed by Iran and Epstein case

King Charles and Queen Camilla meet with US President Donald Trump and Melania Trump. (Wikimedia Commons - Executive Office of the President of the United States)

JAKARTA - King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived at the White House, Washington, on Monday for a state visit that has carried a political burden from the start. Behind the handshake with Donald Trump, the UK-US relationship is being disturbed by the Iran war, security issues, and the shadow of the Epstein scandal.

Launching a report by The Guardian, Tuesday, April 28, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greeted Charles and Camilla with a handshake. The four took a photo before entering the White House to drink closed tea.

Trump then invited the royal couple to see the newly expanded White House beehive in the south lawn. After that, Charles and Camilla attended a garden party at the British Embassy. A number of Trump administration officials were present, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Mehmet Oz.

This four-day visit was held to mark the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States. However, the atmosphere was not light. Washington was just shaken by a shooting at the Washington Hilton hotel during a White House Correspondents Association reception. The Secret Service even took Trump away from the podium. US officials suspect Trump and members of his government are targets.

Buckingham Palace said the visit was going ahead after consulting US authorities. "The King and Queen are very grateful to all those who worked quickly to ensure this could still go ahead," a palace spokesman said.

On Tuesday, Charles is scheduled to speak at a state banquet in the White House's East Room and deliver a speech to the US Congress. This is only the second time that a British monarch has spoken before a joint session of Congress. The first was Queen Elizabeth II in 1991.

Charles is expected to say that Britain and the US do not always agree on everything. However, the tradition of democracy, law, and society makes the two countries repeatedly find ways to work together.

The phrase will be read as a subtle message amid the strained London-Washington relationship. Trump previously criticized Britain for refusing to support military action against Iran. He also mocked Prime Minister Keir Starmer as "not Winston Churchill".

Tensions increased after the Pentagon's leaked discussion about US support for British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. Even so, Trump still praised Charles as a "great guy" and "a friend".

After Washington, Charles is scheduled to head to New York to visit the 9/11 memorial. He then closes the visit in Virginia, where he will meet with conservation groups, an issue he has long championed.

Another problem looms. The scandal of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Charles' younger brother, and his connection to Jeffrey Epstein resurfaced. Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna urged Charles to meet with Epstein survivors on Capitol Hill.

However, palace officials confirmed that there was no meeting with Epstein survivors during this visit. The reason is that there are legal concerns related to the ongoing investigations in the US and the UK.

King Charles has visited the US 19 times. But this is his first state visit to the country since becoming king in 2022.