As the HMS Prince of Wales prepares for deployment to the Indo-Pacific region, the King spoke of an “unpredictable world” and the “new challenges” facing us all, as ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship reports
There are few people who could, all in the space of a week, invite the US President for a State Visit, host the Ukraine President for tea and step on board a Royal Navy aircraft carrier in his capacity as the head of the Armed Forces.
The role King Charles has held this week is all within his remit as an apolitical Sovereign – but he has put the UK in a unique position on the world stage as the new global order under Donald Trump becomes a reality.
The at sea visit to HMS Prince of Wales today has been in the diary for some time, but it adds further heft to the UK effort to take a leading role in the peace negotiations which shattered following the ugly Oval Office spat scenes last week.
They might have been in the diary in advance, but a royal source admitted they all take on a “heightened significance” at this time.
Not since he ascended to the throne in September 2022 has King Charles seen such an intense period of royal diplomacy.
Whilst the King is aware of the volatile and highly sensitive field of play, the UK prime minister seems happy to put forward Charles’ services.
There is clearly a good rapport between the King and the US President, who loved getting his royal letter of invitation for an ‘unprecedented’ second state visit to the UK.
It means he can assist in the inevitable bridge building that now needs to go on between Europe, particularly Ukraine, and the United States.
For a man who’s been accused for much of his time as Prince of Wales of ‘meddling’ and getting involved in politics when it’s not his place, it’s a very difficult tightrope to tread.
A royal source said: “If the King can play a part in calming relations and restoring relationships, he’s happy to be involved.”
And he’s additionally offered a guiding hand to the Canadian Prime Minister, who finds his country at odds with its North American neighbour and facing imminent trade tariffs imposed by the Trump White House.
Canada is a Commonwealth Realm, in which King Charles remains the Head of State, and the Canadian King can show his support to Canada – whilst sending warm letters of invitation to the US President.
There are few people in the world who could do that.
Is Charles overstepping his role? It would be too easy to say the late Queen wouldn’t have done this forgetting the roles she played in the 1970s and 1980s meeting some of Africa’s more challenging leaders, hosting the Japanese Emperor and making symbolic visits to Germany and Ireland.
Once the King left HMS Prince of Wales, its crew and its compliment of F-35B fighter jets will shortly set sail to the Indo Pacific region – although few will be surprised if the ship finds itself getting diverted, such is the global uncertainty at this time.
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