The British Prime Minister should try being more like the King if he wants to do a better job as leader, President Trumps said, as he announced he was dropping tariffs on Scottish whiskey out of respect to his Royal guests.
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla have completed the final day of their four-day state visit to the United States as invited guests of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, flying out of Joint Base Andrews to Bermuda, for another official visit.
The final day was a busy one, with a visit to Shenandoah National Park and Arlington National Cemetery, where the King and Queen laid wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The King was dressed in the usual outfit for a military veteran of the United Kingdom in a sombre suit, striped ‘regimental’ tie — in this case for officers of the Royal Navy — with official government-issued veterans lapel badge, and medal rack pinned to his chest. The King also wore a neck decoration.
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – APRIL 30: King Charles III and Queen Camilla, escorted by US Army Maj. Gen. Antoinette Gant (2nd-R), White House Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley (R), Karen Durham-Aguilera (2nd-L), Executive Director of Army National Military Cemeteries, and Senior Historian Allison Finkelstein, tour the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery on April 30, 2026, in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Saul Loeb – Pool/Getty Images)
As King, Charles III is head of the British and other Commonwealth Dominion armed forces, but also had an active military career in his youth, and was qualified as a helicopter pilot and was captain of British minehunter HMS Bronington.
The King and Queen paid a final official visit to the White House to pay their respects to their hosts, the President and First Lady. As they waved off the Royals, a nearby television camera picked up President Trump remarking of the King and Queen: “we need more people like that in our country”.
Given King Charles is the head of state of the United Kingdom — as well as those other Dominions such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand — but not head of government, the visit has been officially reasonably politics free. Nevertheless, King Charles and President Trump did have behind-closed-doors bilateral talks, and these seem to have borne some fruit: after parting ways, President Trump announced the United States would be cancelling tariffs on Scottish-made whisky, a major export for the United Kingdom.
Writing on Truth Social, President Trump said:
In Honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom, who have just left the White House, soon headed back to their wonderful Country, I will be removing the Tariffs and Restrictions on Whiskey… The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking! A wonderful Honor to have them both in the U.S.A.
When asked by British broadcaster Sky News, President Trump also had advice for Sir Keir Starmer, the embattled Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of its Labour government, who seems with every passing day closer to being removed by internal party coup over his own unpopularity and failings. Reflecting on the British government’s refusal to act in its own national interest, President Trump is reported to have said:
I like Keir Starmer very much, but I think he’s made a tragic mistake on immigration and a tragic mistake on energy… [the King is] a much different person than your prime minister. Your prime minister has to learn to deal the way he deals, and he’ll do a lot better.
The reported conversation also touched on the personal gift of the ship’s bell of Second World War British submarine HMS Trump, given to the President by the King on Tuesday night. The President revealed he was having it placed next to the bust of wartime British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill in the Oval Office, saying: “I’m telling my people right now. I want to bring it into the Oval [Office]. I want to see it. Okay, it’s fantastic”.
It is stated as President Trump gave that order, an aide could be heard in the background replying “yes sir”.
King Charles III waving to people in Front Royal, Virginia today / Matthew Perdie / Breitbart News
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