The British royal family has historically played a vital role in strengthening ties between the United States and United Kingdom, keeping the so-called “special relationship” between the two countries alive.
And as Elon Musk, one of US President-elect Donald Trump’s closest allies, scraps with the UK’s government, some believe Britain could be making more use of one of its oldest diplomatic assets. Even this week, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, visited the US on behalf of the King to pay his respects to former President Jimmy Carter, who died aged 100 in December.
It could therefore be of some comfort to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is keen to build trust with the Trump administration, that the incoming president has a soft spot for the clan, particularly the late Queen Elizabeth II.
In 2019, following his last state visit to the UK, Trump delivered a flurry of compliments directed at members of the family. “I have such a great relationship, and we were laughing and having fun,” Trump told Fox News just after the trip to London, when he met the late Queen.
Trump particularly admires the family’s celebrity and the way they represent a more traditional social authority, according to Ed Owens, a royal historian and author of “After Elizabeth: Can the Monarchy Save Itself?”
“They are some of the best-known people in the world and he’d like to think that he’s the best-known person in the world,” he told CNN.
More recently, Trump made equally flattering comments about the heir to the British throne, Prince William, whom he met in Paris at the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in December. “He’s doing a fantastic job,” Trump said of William, calling him a “good man.”
“I had a great talk with the prince,” Trump later told The New York Post. “He’s a good-looking guy… He looked really very handsome last night. Some people look better in person. He looked great. He looked really nice, and I told him that.”
Trump’s gushing remarks about William – although perhaps not the most typical display of diplomacy – will be welcomed by those concerned about the future of UK-US relations, particularly as prominent figures in the governing Labour party have previously hit outagainst the divisive incoming president.
“Keir Starmer and Donald Trump don’t see eye to eye on everything, or at least they’re not going to see eye to eye on everything,” Owens said, adding that the royals “can, in a way, distract from that fact.”
“The fact that (Trump) is deferential to the British royal family, impressed by them, I think that bodes well for the UK, if the UK can use the royals strategically,” he said.
Royal commentator and author Sally Bedell Smith agreed that the family can “conceivably play a role in softening the atmosphere, which is pretty tense right now.”
This “soft power” influence is nothing new. Generations of royals have been helping to keep the bond between the UK and US tight.
The late Queen went to great lengths to have a good relationship with past US presidents, and got to know 13 during her 70-year reign, Smith told CNN. “That was just a vital piece of British foreign policy.”
Famously, in the early 1960s, as the youthful John F. Kennedy came into power, the royal family helped the UK to strengthen its links with this “new, dynamic, exciting America” at a time when Britain felt like a “slightly outdated place,” Owens added.
However, in the modern age there is little doubt that Trump and key members of the royal clan will not agree on everything, notably the need to take action to tackle climate change.
Both Prince William and his father, King Charles III, have been vocal advocates for climate action. Meanwhile, Trump successfully campaigned on a three-word energy policy – “Drill, baby, drill” – and recently said that he wants a policy where no windmills are being built across the country.
These strong views will not stop the royals speaking out about issues they believe in, Owens said, but there is a limit to their influence. “I don’t imagine that the King is going to give up, he’s going to continue to emphasize the importance of (climate action),” he said.
“But he will do so delicately. He knows that he has no serious role to play in American politics,” Owens added.
While the British royals may have no official role in US politics, the soft power they yield will help to smooth a potentially bumpy road between Washington and London, and is a vital part of the UK government’s strategy for ensuring the bonds between the two countries remain strong.
