US3 min(s) read
Published 09:16 29 Apr 2026 GMT
King Charles III gave President Donald Trump a surprising gift during the White House State Dinner.
The 77-year-old King and Queen Camilla’s two-day visit to Washington, D.C. was meant to celebrate the close bond between Britain and the United States.
On Tuesday (April 28), Charles gave Trump a giant brass bell bearing his name, a symbolic relic with deep wartime meaning.
The bell came from H.M.S. Trump, a British World War Two submarine that helped protect Allied interests during the fight against Nazism and later served in the Pacific.
Calling it his "personal" gift, the monarch told the 79-year-old he hoped it would "stand as a testimony to our nation’s shared history and shining future," per The Independent.
The King, who served in the Royal Navy himself, also said the submarine had played "a critical role during the war in the Pacific," before delivering a joke.
"And should you ever need to get hold of us, just give us a ring," he quipped.
The present came after a visit filled with warm words and subtle jokes from the king.
Charles made light of Trump’s controversial White House renovation plans, saying he could not "help but notice the readjustments to the East Wing" before joking the British had "made our own small attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House" when troops burned it in 1814.
He later referenced Trump’s past comments about America saving Europe in World War Two, saying: "Indeed, you recently commented, Mr. President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German. Dare I say that if it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking French."
He then followed with a more serious message. "American leadership helped rebuild a shattered continent, playing a decisive role as a defender of freedom in Europe. We and I shall never forget that," he said.
Earlier in the trip, Charles also addressed Congress and honored the long alliance between the two countries.
"Our common ideals were not only crucial for liberty and equality, they are also the foundation of our shared prosperity. The Rule of Law: the certainty of stable and accessible rules, an independent judiciary resolving disputes and delivering impartial justice," he said
He added the "bitter divisions of 250 years ago" had become "a friendship that has grown into one of the most consequential Alliances in human history".
The president also praised the monarch during the dinner. "I want to congratulate Charles on having made a fantastic speech today at Congress. He got the Democrats to stand. I've never been able to do that," he said.
He also brought up Iran while claiming the monarch shared his view. "Charles agrees with me even more than I do - we're never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon," he continued.
"But our countries have stood together, defiant and triumphant against the forces of communism, fascism and tyranny; together, we have expanded the reaches of human knowledge and endeavored always to make this world safer, more prosperous, more just and more free," he added.
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