When, on a trip to the H.M.S. Prince of Wales stationed in the English channel earlier this week, King Charles wore the full suite of his Canadian medals on his military uniform, he was making the subtlest – and chicest – of statements to remind the world that he is our head of state. In other words, King of Canada.
While he couldn’t come out and expressly state his support for Canada in its tariff battle with the United States – the British Royal Family by tradition and practice stays neutral on all political issues – King Charles made the sartorial nod on the same day that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was welcomed at the King’s country retreat, Sandringham, in Norfolk. The tariffs instituted by Donald Trump on Tuesday – the latest escalation between the two countries that started when Trump began calling Canada the 51st state – were fresh wounds in his unprovoked trade war. (On Thursday, Trump walked back some of the tariffs until April 2.)
Notably, U.K. PM Keir Starmer was asked by the Independent newspaper last week if he had raised the issue of Trump’s stated desire to annex Canada as the 51st U.S. state during his Feb. 28 meeting with the president. Starmer fluffed off the reporter.
King Charles, by contrast, wields soft power and has stepped up to do his part by deploying the diplomacy of royal receptions at his castles, and the wearing of symbolic fashion elements. And he gave Keir Starmer a sweetener for Trump in that same Washington visit late last week: invitations for an “unprecedented” second state visit hosted by the King, as well as a more immediate summer invite to Balmoral – the King’s Scottish getaway near Trump’s beloved Turnberry golf course. Trump was reportedly delighted.
That’s no surprise, as militaria and monarchy are things Donald Trump is drawn to like a magpie to shiny things. The pomp and ceremony and deference surrounding royalty appeals to his more grandiose aesthetic preferences. Remember, Trump literally declared himself “king” in a post on the White House’s official social media channels in February – complete with an illustration of himself wearing a crown.
It makes one wonder if Trump recalls his American history lessons in school – particularly the part with the American Revolution, Declaration of Independence and formation of the United States of America as a specific rebuke to monarchical rule. And amid all the talk of the U.S. / U.K. “special relationship,” does Trump realize that Charles is, in fact, Canada’s King, too.
In addition to supporting Canada with these subtle nods, Charles also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Sandringham Estate. (Trudeau was the only non-European participant in a conference of world leaders meeting to discuss continued support of Ukraine amid the U.S. grandstanding.) For Zelenskyy to be seen having tea with the King was a ritualized social gesture of support amid the withdrawal of U.S. military aid to his embattled country and the tense negotiations around mineral rights the U.S. is demanding.
For his part, Charles is finding new ways of staying relevant – and adapting the monarchy’s soft power to this new moment of juggling the world order. It must be hard, as he was much more outspoken as Prince of Wales before his accession. And he remains deeply involved with his signature lifelong cause – the environment – though outside of the political realm now.
The extraordinary chaos the new Trump administration has brought not just to Washington, but the world over, may prove just the time for the monarchy to deploy a charm offensive. Royal favours are meaningful to leaders around the world but especially to the Commonwealth – the great project of Charles’s mother, Queen Elizabeth’s, record long reign.
And while Canada is an important partner of the U.S. – despite that bond being tested this week – we have much longer and deeper ties to Britain. By inviting Trudeau for a private chat (with public cameras) and by wearing his Canadian regalia on a British warship, Charles may have been the most unexpected but welcome statesman in the world this week. At least where Canada is concerned.
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