Will Keir Starmer need to use King Charles as his Trump card in the growing Greenland row?
T.King III. Charles’ state visit to the White House rose garden on July 4, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence, is of great importance.
At a time when Donald Trump is in the process of imposing new tariffs on Greenland and renewing threats against other allies, Sir Keir Starmer has few tools at his disposal to persuade the US president to be more reasonable.
But this year’s royal visit is perhaps the only tool available to prevent the international crisis from spiraling out of control.
If there’s one card the UK holds in its dealings with Mr Trump, it’s the royal family.
Partly because his late mother came from Scotland, President Trump respects Britain’s royals and the trappings of power that come with them.
It is already a truism that senior royals, in particular, are essentially an extension of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and this is truest of all when it comes to careful dealings with America’s capricious 47th president.
Sir Keir has already appointed Prince William as a crucial intermediary with the US president. The relationship began in late 2024, just before Trump’s inauguration, when Trump and William met in Paris ahead of the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral.
Since then, the prince and the president have spoken regularly. Independent More has been said than even Trump talked to Starmer.
But the most important thing was the show. One of the ways Sir Keir was able to outperform the EU in striking a trade deal after Trump tariffs was through Trump’s historic second state visit to the UK.
He may now regret the appointment, but the prospect of a state visit also ensured that Trump did not reject Starmer’s first choice, US ambassador Lord Mandelson.
The state visit has become a sort of golden carrot on which the president focuses and tells those close to him that he does not want to go wrong in any way.
So Trump has made it clear that he doesn’t want anything to interfere with that and that he’s willing to be much more accommodating to the UK.
In this process, space was opened for Starmer to establish his relationship with the US president and gain the status of “Trump whisperer” internationally.
Looking forward, the plan to send the King, or perhaps the Prince of Wales, on a state visit for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4 is perhaps even more important now for Trump and what he sees as his legacy.
This visit and whether it will continue will be extremely important as diplomatic tensions escalate and the threat of tariffs increases.
If the UK is in recession because of Trump’s tariffs and the NATO alliance has collapsed because of the US president’s demands for Greenland, then it seems impossible for a senior royal to meet and give the US president the nod.
Of course, an English monarch, his predecessor Henry III. It would be a pleasant irony if George refused to attend an event commemorating the revolutionaries who ended his rule.
However, even at this stage, the threat that the visit may not take place may be enough to hold Trump’s hand.
There is a risk, though. Trump is not a man who will simply lie down and accept being belittled. If the royal visit is canceled he will take it personally and things could get worse.
And waving copyright at Trump doesn’t seem to help much on international issues like Ukraine or the Middle East.
As always, Sir Keir faces a tough tightrope navigating the diplomatic turbulence of the Trump presidency.
