King Charles and Trump toast ‘special relationship’ at state banquet

At Windsor Castle, King Charles and US President Donald Trump praised the enduring “special relationship” between their nations during a state banquet on Wednesday.

The King reflected on centuries of shared history — from war and hardship to innovation and cultural exchange.

King Charles III: "Our people have fought and died together for the values we hold dear. We have innovated, traded and created together, fuelling our economies and cultures through myriad forms of exchange."

He spoke of the deep cultural and ancestral ties uniting the two allies.

US President Donald Trump: "We're joined by history and fate and by love and language, and by transcendent ties of culture, tradition, ancestry and destiny. We're like two notes in one chord, or two verses of the same poem."

Charles also nodded to Trump’s Scottish roots and even his fondness for golf, while highlighting shared diplomatic efforts in hotspots from Ukraine to Gaza.

In his own toast, Trump described the alliance as “priceless and eternal,” saying the word “special” hardly does it justice. He called the US and UK two verses of the same poem, adding the two countries have done “more good for humanity than any in history.”

The banquet, filled with royal pageantry, capped a historic second state visit for Trump — the first time any world leader has received the honour twice.