King Charles jokes Nixon sought to arrange marriage; Trump state banquet highlights enduring U.S.-UK bond

At Windsor Castle, King Charles III hosted a State Banquet for U.S. President Donald Trump, delivering remarks that mixed diplomacy with humor as the two nations reaffirmed a long-standing alliance.

The monarch referenced a reported 1970s episode in which former President Richard Nixon was said to be obsessed with the Royal Family and to have explored arranging a marriage between Charles and Nixon’s daughter. The comment came during a ceremonial dinner that doubled as a platform for reinforcing the “special relationship” between the United States and the United Kingdom. "Had the media succeeded in the 1970s in their own attempt at deepening the special relationship, I might have been married off within the Nixon family!" the king quipped during his address.

Charles framed the moment within a broader pledge to the partnership, describing it as an "unparalleled" bond and saying the two nations are the "closest of kin" despite the Atlantic dividing their shores. He noted that the relationship has endured through decades of shared history, arguing that their cooperation has kept both countries safer and stronger. "This unique and important occasion reflects the enduring bond between our two great nations," the king said. "Anchored by the deep friendship between our people, this relationship which, with good reason, our predecessors have long called 'special', has made us safer and stronger through the generations."

Trump was seated between the king and the Princess of Wales for the banquet, a setup underscoring the ceremonial intimacy of the occasion. Catherine, the Princess of Wales, wore a couture gown by Phillipa Lepley, while Queen Camilla wore a royal blue silk marocain dress accented by a sapphire and diamond tiara. The night also highlighted the broader ceremonial pageantry that accompanies a state visit, with other royals in attendance including the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Gloucester and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh.

In his remarks to the assembly, the U.S. president described the event as "one of the highest honors of my life" and joked that he hoped to be the only American president to make two state visits. He complimented King Charles for his knowledge of guests’ names and praised Prince William as a "remarkable son" who would likely achieve great things. He also spoke warmly of the Princess of Wales, calling her "radiant, and so healthy and so beautiful" as he acknowledged the couple’s public roles.

The visit also featured Trump’s daughter Tiffany and her husband, Michael Boulos, joining the family for portions of the evening, continuing a pattern from Trump’s 2019 state visit in which he attended with several of his children. The remarks and the setting reflected a carefully curated narrative of continuity and renewal in the U.S.-U.K. relationship, with the president stressing the bond between the two nations as a source of shared strength and liberty.

The king did not shy away from historical context, noting how the War of Independence loomed large in the historical imagination of both countries. He invoked his five-times great-grandfather, King George III, to remind guests that the relationship has evolved far beyond rancor or rupture. "Today, however, we celebrate a relationship between our two countries that surely neither Washington nor King George III could have possibly imagined. The ocean may still divide us, but in so many other ways we are now the closest of kin," Charles said. A sense of continuity threaded through the remarks as he highlighted cultural, scientific, defense, security, intelligence, military and environmental links that bind the nations.

In closing, the king toasted the shared bond and the enduring commitment to independence and liberty that characterizes the partnership. He lauded the two peoples’ cooperation across a wide range of domains and reiterated that the alliance remains a cornerstone of Western security and diplomacy. The event, which gathered senior royals and U.S. officials, underscored a public posture of civility and mutual respect amid a long, complex diplomatic history, with officials portraying the relationship as resilient and forward-looking rather than transactional.

As the banquet drew to a close, aides and guests reflected the quiet confidence that has long defined the Anglo-American partnership: a friendship rooted in history, reinforced by shared values, and durable enough to adapt to changing political climates. The evening at Windsor thus served both as a ceremonial reaffirmation of ties and as a reminder that the United Kingdom and the United States continue to view each other as essential partners on the global stage.