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TRANSCRIPT:
The arrival of King Charles III to the US is intended to honour a historic alliance and 250 years of US independence from the British monarchy.
But the high-stakes visit has come amid strained transatlantic relations and follows an alleged assassination attempt on the United States President.
In the first speech to the US Congress since that of his mother Queen Elizabeth in 1991, King Charles has delivered a rare address, sprinkled with humour against the backdrop of war.
"As Oscar Wilde said, we have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language."
Indeed, the polite tone and subtle message of the King's speech were a stark departure from Donald Trump's usual rhetoric.
While British monarchs traditionally steer clear of day-to-day politics, strained relations have seen the visit become something of an impromptu diplomatic mission.
Early in his second term, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer worked hard to praise the US President.
With the UK refusing to join the war in Iran, relations have soured, with Mr Trump calling Mr Starmer a coward and even mocking the UK Navy.
Professor and CEO at the United States Studies Centre, Dr Michael Green, has told SBS News that the war has sparked doubts in the relationship.
"The war on Iran was initiated by President Trump and by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, without consultation with Congress, without consultations with close allies like Great Britain and Australia, or even directly affected allies in the Gulf. And it's close to unprecedented in that way, and as a result, there's a lot of frustration, anger, doubt in the UK."
While Donald Trump has shown contempt for the British Prime Minister, his deep affection for the Royal family stems from his childhood.
Speaking ahead of King Charles' address, he recalled early memories of his Scottish mother and her admiration for Charles and his late mother Queen Elizabeth.
“My mother, I just see it so clearly. She loved, I told the King this, she loved the royal family and she loved the Queen. And any time the queen was involved in a ceremony or anything, my mother would be glued to the television and she'd say, 'Look, Donald, look how beautiful that is.' She really did love the family. But I also remember her saying very clearly, 'Charles, look, young Charles, he's so cute.' My mother. My mother had a crush on Charles. Can you believe it?"
In the United Kingdom, a recent poll conducted by YouGov found 48 per cent of respondents supported cancelling the state visit.
Jake Atkinson is the spokesperson for the Stop Trump Coalition.
"The British people do not want this state visit to go ahead. We should not be sending the King to wine and dine at a state banquet with Donald Trump when he is driving a cost of living crisis as a result of his war in Iran. ... And so sending the King right now sends a signal that we're actually okay with whatever Donald Trump is doing on the world stage."
King Charles has told Congress that the transatlantic relationship was born out of disagreement, but that despite historic tensions, the unique partnership has always endured.
"That alliance is part of what Henry Kissinger described as Kennedy's soaring vision of an Atlantic partnership based on twin pillars, Europe and America, that partnership, I believe Mr. Speaker is more important today than it has ever been."
As well as calls for a renewed relationship strengthened by security commitments, King Charles told Congress that the relationship is founded on strong democracy.
At a time when the US Congress has ceded much of its authority to Donald Trump, and concerns have arisen over political influence over the courts, King Charles stressed the importance of impartial justice.
"Our common ideals were not only crucial for liberty and equality. They are also the foundation of our shared prosperity. The rule of law, the certainty of stable and accessible rules, an independent judiciary resolving disputes and delivering impartial justice. These features created the conditions for centuries of unmatched economic growth in our two countries."
Donald Trump's second term has also seen the US President cast doubts over the NATO alliance and pull back from commitments to protect Europe from Russia.
Dr Charles Miller is a Senior Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations.
He has told SBS News that the current US administration has different priorities for its relationship with Europe.
"So in recent American publications coming out of the Trump administration, they've talked about large scale immigration, especially Muslim immigration, into Europe, and what they call the loss of European national identities as being the major challenge that Europeans face, but Europeans themselves wouldn't see it that way. They would see that the major security challenge that they face is a growing threat from Russia, and to that degree, the United States, under Donald Trump, really doesn't see eye to eye with them."
In light of Trump's moves to undo key climate policies and withdraw the US from global climate agreements, King Charles has also spoken about the need to protect the natural environment.
A lifelong advocate for environmental protection, the King made a subtle appeal to Mr Trump's perhaps more profit-driven values.
"Even as we celebrate the beauty that surrounds us, our generation must decide how to address the collapse of critical natural systems, which threatens far more than the harmony and essential diversity of nature we ignore at our peril, the fact that these natural systems, in other words, nature's own economy, provide the foundation for our prosperity and our national security."
In a state dinner after the address, Donald Trump described the relationship as eternal.
"Together, we have expanded the reaches of human knowledge and endeavoured always to make this world safer, more prosperous, more just and more free. Ours is a treasured friendship, an eternal bond, and a true story of extraordinary heroism and skill. A lot of skill, tremendous skill.”
Despite some clear differences in opinions, Dr Green says the visit shows just how valuable the monarchy can be for the United Kingdom.
With tensions in the relationship all but settled, he says Mr Trump's affection for the King may be a good step in mending the relationship.
"Well, King Charles visit to Washington proves the value of the monarchy to the United Kingdom, because at a political level, with Prime Minister Starmer, there are multiple points of friction right now, but the King has a certain magic that 250 years after rebelling against King George the Third, Americans still fall for, including President Trump. So this is not going to repair the problems in the special relationship between the US and UK, but it's going to take the sting out. It's going to add some, context, some pomp and circumstance, some goodwill, and we hope, and so for that reason, because this is one of the most important relationships in the world, it's of great significance."
