2.1.1 – The Sources and nature of the UK Constitution
On becoming Prime Minister in July 2024, Keir Starmer was faced with a number of challenges. The starkest of these was the economic situation – particularly as his election campaign had promised economic growth. On arriving at Number 10, he stated that the nation’s finances were in a worse state than expected. On 5th November 2024, a new challenge emerged when Donald Trump was elected to his second term as President. The relationship between the UK and US has long been termed a ‘special relationship’ and is essential to both Britain’s security and economic interests.
Starmer clearly decided early in his premiership that keeping Trump onside was essential. In his first meeting with Trump, in the Oval Office of the White House, Starmer theatrically produced a letter from his pocket inviting Trump on a state visit to the United Kingdom. This took place in September 2025 and was the first time that a US President had been honoured with a second state visit.
Since then, the relationship between Starmer and Trump has undoubtedly deteriorated. Firstly, they publicly disagreed about the decision to hand the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius and only keeping the Diego Garcia military base via a lease agreement. Secondly, Starmer’s decision to prevent the US from using British military bases for offensive military action against Iran led to friction with Trump commenting ‘this isn’t Winston Churchill we are dealing with’. Last week Trump posted what many people interpreted as a genocidal threat against Iran on social media. The relationship has undoubtedly become frosty.
Yet, despite all of this, Charles III is due to attend a state visit to the United States at the end of April. This will include a State banquet at the White House.
No other British Monarch has waited as long to accede to the throne as Charles III. As Prince of Wales, his views on social and political issues were unusually well known. As Prince of Wales, he became an advocate for a number of issues. In particular, he was renowned for speaking about environmental conservation and climate change long before it became fashionable to do so. There can be no doubt that President Trump is far from the company that Charles would usually keep. However, as King, this is what he is constitutionally expected to do.
Britain has a constitutional monarchy in which the monarch ‘reigns but does not rule’. Fundamental to their constitutional role is that the monarch follows the advice of their Prime Minister. Famously, Boris Johnson’s advice to prorogue Parliament in August 2019 was found to be ultra vires. Therefore, realistically, the King will often find himself being deployed to suit a current political agenda.
The Monarchy is a soft power asset to the UK, particularly with Trump, who is a known anglophile and who loves the spectacle of state occasions with the Monarch. At present, with the relationship with Trump being strained and unpredictable, preventing the King from attending the pre-arranged state visit would further strain the relationship with Trump.
Other leaders have urged the government not to send Charles on the state visit. These have included Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, who has said it should be called off due to Trump conducting an illegal war in Iran. Notably, Davey boycotted the state banquet for Donald Trump when he visited the UK last year. Many in the UK share the view of Davey. A recent YouGov poll indicated that 46% of Britons believe the visit should not go ahead, whilst 36% believe it should. Yet, the Prime Minister will not want to risk the negative repercussions of offending Trump. The short-term domestic political discomfort of allowing the visit will be seen to be a price worth paying.