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Posted on 04/27/2026 6:35:24 PM PDT by nickcarraway
In the end, the only 'king' who matters in Washington is Donald Trump
] Local DC government workers replace the Australian flag with the Union Jack along 17th Street next to the White House on April 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. The DC government mistakenly placed both flags around the White House in preparation of King Charles visit to Washington on April 27, 2026. (Photo by Andrew Leyden/Getty Images) A Union Flag is up and an Australian flag taken down near the White House. The slip-up is a pretty good summation of how much attention America as a whole is paying to the royal visit (Photo: Andrew Leyden/Getty) Avatar for Victoria Richards Victoria Richards Freelance columnist, opinion editor and agony aunt Share bookmark Save Gift this article free The preparations for King Charles III’s state visit to the US are in full splendour, filled with pomp and pageantry, dignitaries and decorations – it’s just a shame they look like they’re for someone else.
For on arrival at the White House on Monday, the King might have been royally bemused to note that some of the flags hoisted in his honour weren’t actually British at all – but Australian.
The blunder happened on Friday, when hundreds of national banners were installed across the capital to welcome the King and Queen Camilla, who are making a four-day state visit to Washington, New York and Virginia to mark 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Yet 15 Australian flags were used to line the black lampposts leading up to the White House and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, due to an apparent mix-up owing to the similarities between the designs. The error was “quickly corrected”, a DC Department of Transportation official said on Friday.
Now, you might be able to explain away the gaffe. Charles is the head of the Commonwealth, after all; he’s head of state in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. His face appears on Australian coins, he has visited the country 17 times, and even lived there for six months as a teenager. And look, there’s a Union Flag on the Aussie one. Easy mistake to make.
But given how much the UK Government is hoping the state visit will heal the rift between the US and the UK – and between Donald Trump and Keir Starmer – the slip-up serves as a pretty good summation of how much attention America as a whole is paying. Namely: not a lot.
There’s a lot at stake. It is vital this trip goes well after a tense two months in which the so-called “special relationship” between the US and UK has soured significantly, due to Britain refusing to be directly involved in the war in Iran (Trump even branded Starmer “no Winston Churchill”). The King’s visit to the States is widely regarded as an attempt to shore up Britain’s status as America’s ally and friend. The kind of friend you keep close, very close, because you have to. It’s too dangerous not to.
It’s a clever move, for we know that flattery and sycophancy – particularly when it involves the Royal Family – is Trump’s weak spot. We all saw the way the US President was left visibly preening after Starmer presented him with the King’s personal invitation to an unprecedented second state visit to the UK at the White House last year.
And when Trump got to Britain, he lapped up the personal, family greeting outside Victoria House when he arrived; crowed the entire way through a state banquet beside William and Kate; and basked as a Beating Retreat, featuring 200 military musicians, was performed for him, before a flypast of the Red Arrows – the first time they’ve ever been used for a state visit.
We went big to welcome Trump here, and now we’re sending the King to him – despite a lot of resistance among ordinary Brits to the idea. The Lib Dems tabled a motion in Parliament to stop it; YouGov found last month that 49 per cent of us were against the trip, with 33 per cent in favour.
Yet if the King’s visit is supposed to reach beyond the White House and remind everyday Americans what we have in common, it is taking some time to filter through.
In a new Daily Mail/JL Partners poll, 53 per cent of Americans said they’d heard “nothing at all” about the royal visit. Another 31 per cent said they’d heard “a little”. That’s 84 per cent of the US not really noticing that this thing we’ve put the house on is even happening. When it comes to playing your biggest soft-power card, it’s not exactly the reception you’d hope for.
So, this gaffe, now, when relations between our two nations are at perhaps their lowest ebb in 70 years, feels – accidental as it may be – like a power move.
Britain is sharply divided as to whether the King should be meeting Trump and touring the US, worried our honour and dignity is being traduced. The US, meanwhile, can’t even remember what our flag looks like. And, in the end, what we’re left with is the message that there’s only “king” who matters in Washington – and his name is Donald Trump.
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There is nothing to respect or admire about Chuck.
We fought a bloody revolution to end hereditary political leadership from the line that Charles represents. And he shows us and is very exemplary why that was such a good idea!
Reports on FR of Britts being arrested for flying the Union Jack.
Unfortunately, it is part of the current Hawaiian flag (the Union Jack).
I hope JD rips him one.
In good King Charles' golden days when loyalty no harm meant
A pious man of God was I and so I gained preferment.
There is no god but God quoth I, Muhammad is His prophet.
The infidel sign upon the flag shall soon be taken off it.And this be law, I will maintain ...
The diehard anti-Brit bigots on this and other threads are probably also people who think that blacks’ frequent mentions of slavery reparations are outrageous and irrelevant, over 175 years after Emancipaton and 62 years after the racial Civil Rights Act.
Britain has joined us in fighting quite a few wars around the world and has been a significant trading partner and cultural ally. British history of civic development underlay much of our Founding, legal system and Constitution.
But go on, hayseeds, keep fighting the War of 1812 or whatever huff’n’puffin’ you are doing.
“ There is nothing to respect or admire about Chuck.”
Nothing.
Plenty to despise.
Nobody is anti-Brit. If anything they are pro-Brit and hate the architects of those destroying the once Great Britain. Namely the King and the UK government who prefer muzzie invaders to their own people. But you keep being angry at your imaginary enemies. Weirdo.
I would not be surprised if this was a psyop. Kudos to who thought of it.
There is nothing to respect or admire about Chuck
There is nothing to respect or admire about Chuck Mohammed
I’m not fighting the war of 1812 over. But I will point out that date, 1812 as a point of divergence between our 2 cultures. We’ve made mistakes. But I also think we’ve taken the better elements of British culture and improved upon it.
CC
Have to agree with you there— why the HELL is this lightweight narrow eyed German coming to the US in the Anniversary Year of our successful winning of Independence from the worlds largest Empire ever?
He should read up on George III. Americans generally should have antipathy to Great Britain, especially since inventing the “special relationship” as if we are still one of their Colonies!!! It’s clear the f’rs still think we are, and they are aided by anglophile US citizens who should, even to this day be called TORIES!! and treated as such. Damned Tories who were run out of the new USA permanently, or, were caught and strung up. Seriously.
We rescued the UK twice at great sacrifice of human American lives-— to save, what? Their stupid stiff lipped Colonial attitude and they still lost nearly all they had after WWII.
Get lost Chuck and take that stupid ugly a@@ Camilla with you.
Mountbatten-Windsors indeed-— freaking Battenburgs!!
Mountbatten-Windsors indeed-— freaking Battenburgs!!
Lord Mountbatten was a pedo, he got what he deserved from the IRA.
The UK will soon be the UC for United Caliphate.
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