King Charles III’s first visit to the United States as a British monarch is drawing fresh comparisons to Queen Elizabeth II’s historic trips — with royal experts noting that he appears to be charting a more candid and at times subtly political path than his late mother, while still adhering to the monarchy’s carefully controlled playbook.
Charles and his wife Queen Camilla arrived in Washington, D.C. earlier this week for a state visit in celebration of the 250th anniversary of America’s independence and their four-day trip also included stops in New York and Virginia.
Elizabeth visited the US multiple times during her reign, making several high-profile trips that helped reinforce the longstanding alliance between the two nations. Prior to her death in 2022, the queen last traveled to the country in 2007 to celebrate the anniversary of the Jamestown settlement.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams pointed out that Charles’ trip comes at a time of increased tensions between U.S President Donald Trump and the leaders of several European countries.
QUEEN CAMILLA SKIPS ROYAL FUNERAL DUE TO ILLNESS AHEAD OF TRUMP STATE VISIT
“In recent weeks there has been a series of public disagreements between President Trump and his European allies, especially [U.K. Prime Minister] Sir Keir Starmer,” Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital.
“America’s relations with NATO, the bedrock of American security, are in question with differing views about the war with Iran,” he continued. “There have been angry exchanges over Greenland, Canada, the use of British bases to attack Iran from, the Falklands and rows over personalities.”
Fitzwilliams shared his view that Charles’ approach marked a notable shift from the late queen’s famously restrained style, explaining that the king navigated a delicate diplomatic moment with a slightly more expressive and personal touch.
FIT FOR A KING? EX-PRIME MINISTER TRUDEAU WEARS SNEAKERS TO SEE KING CHARLES’ THRONE SPEECH
He went on to praise some of Charles’ most public-facing moments, including his historic address to the United States Congress and appearance at the White House state dinner on Tuesday, which he explained signaled a confident communicator stepping into his own.
“The king’s speeches, to Congress and at the state dinner, were marvellous, incisive, full of humorous touches and informative,” Fitzwilliams said.
Royal expert Hilary Fordwich shared her opinion that Charles struck a slightly different tone than Elizabeth had during her previous visits, pointing to a blend of tradition with a more modern edge.
“King Charles II has inserted even more comic humor than his mother and he was unusually somewhat political with some of his comments,” she told Fox News Digital.
Royal commentator Meredith Constant told Fox News Digital that she believes the shift reflects a monarch intent on defining his own legacy.
“In his speech, King Charles told Congress about the work that ‘our generation’ has left to do,” she said. “King Charles doesn’t want to be viewed as a transitional King; he wants to make a real impact.”
“Establishing a new special relationship between the U.S. that nods to the past while looking to the future is one way to do that,” Constant continued. “I don’t think the Queen would have been as outspoken as Charles was in his speech to Congress about the environment and the rule of law.”
Constant noted that Charles’ willingness to publicly address current geopolitical conflicts and policy issues marked a departure from Elizabeth’s approach, given the royal family’s long-standing tradition of political neutrality.
“It might not have sounded like much to most Americans, but King Charles is not a political figure,” she explained. “Speaking openly about Ukraine and calling on the government to protect the environment is pretty momentous.”
KING CHARLES SHATTERS 100 YEAR-OLD ROYAL TRADITION TO USHER IN MODERN MONARCHY: EXPERTS
However, Fordwich and Constant emphasized that Charles does not appear to have abandoned the core principles that defined Elizabeth’s reign.
“He very much echoed his mother’s dignified playbook,” Fordwich said. “Focused on what unites us versus what divides us.”
“Charles comes from the old guard of European monarchs,” Constant said. “You can see his mother’s impact in how he operates, but he’s also his own person.”
KING CHARLES WILL AVOID PRINCE HARRY DURING UK TRIP OVER FEARS PRIVATE TALKS COULD LEAK: EXPERTS
Royal experts told Fox News Digital that they had noticed a subtle difference in style between Charles and Elizabeth. Constant explained that Charles appeared notably at ease throughout the visit and projected a blend of royal formality with a more approachable presence.
“King Charles looked relaxed and in his element during all the public events,” she said. “He managed to take a lot of the spotlight from Trump, but not overtly so.”
Fordwich said that Charles appeared to be taking a more modern, hands-on approach to royal appearances, with the king engaging more directly with the public than his mother typically did during her trips. She highlighted Charles’ interactions in New York City on Wednesday, including his visits to the 9/11 Memorial and Harlem.
KING CHARLES WON’T MEET PRINCE HARRY DURING MONARCH’S US STATE VISIT: EXPERTS
Fordwich told Fox News Digital that Charles was “mixing with crowds” at the events “to an even greater degree than his mother.”
While at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, Charles and Camilla paid tribute to the victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks. The royals laid a bouquet of white flowers on a parapet at the South Pool, bowed their heads in a moment of silence and met with survivors, first responders and families of the victims.
Camilla was photographed hugging Anthoula Katsimatides, whose brother John died when the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed during the attacks.
KING CHARLES, PRINCE HARRY RECONCILIATION IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE, BUT WILL BE A ‘SLOW BURN’: AUTHOR
“Anyone who thinks that the King and the Queen are not down to earth — nothing is further from the truth,” Katsimatides later told the New York Post.
“I showed them my picture of John and Camilla said, ‘Oh, he’s quite a looker!” she recalled. “They’re so cool.”
Charles later visited the Harlem Grown nonprofit, a sustainability initiative focused on urban farming. During his visit, he toured the facility, planted seeds, fed chickens and met with students to learn about their efforts to combat food insecurity.
TRUMP ‘SET THE TONE’ AS KING CHARLES ‘COMMANDED THE SPACE’ AT WHITE HOUSE: EXPERTS
Fitzwilliams noted that Charles remained consistent in the causes that he chose to highlight during his visit, which he said reflect the king’s long-held priorities.
“King Charles included plugs for the environment and the importance of inter-faith understanding, which have long been his enthusiasms, in his speeches,” Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital.
Fordwich noted that both Charles and Elizabeth’s visits included humorous moments that gained widespread attention. She said that one of the lessons Charles learned from his mother was “diffusing discontent by inserting comic levity to bring both sides together.”
The royal expert Fordwich referred to a highly-publicized moment from Elizabeth’s 1991 address to a joint session of Congress, during which the microphone at the podium was set noticeably too low for her height.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Fordwich recalled how the queen diffused the situation with a light touch of humor, asking, “Can you all see me now?,” which prompted laughter and immediately put the room at ease.
She also pointed to a comedic line from Charles’ speech during the state dinner, in which the king quipped to Trump, “You recently commented, Mr. President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German.”
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
“Dare I say that, if it wasn’t for us, you’d be speaking French,” Charles added to laughter from those in the room.
Looking ahead, the royal experts said Charles’ approach could shape how the monarchy is viewed on the global stage in the years to come.
“He seems intent on repairing the political rift and putting the special relationship back on track,” Fordwich said.
Weighing in on the king’s broader goal, Constant said, “Charles is truly in charge, and he seems intent on changing things in a way that is palatable to traditional monarchists and will hopefully help with younger generations who are more apathetic about the monarchy.”
