The king and queen arrive in the US

[0:00] But first, Andrews Air Force Base, the royals are arriving and our James Longman is there on the tarmac to greet the king and queen once they come off that plane. [0:13] While we wait, let's take it to Elsa, who is one of our contributors and inside she actually was press secretary to Queen Elizabeth. [0:27] That's how we first met her. And now she is one of our contributors. [0:30] And is also watching the arrival of the royals here in the United States. [0:36] Elsa, thanks for going for the flow. [0:38] We thought we were going to talk about what happened over the weekend at the White House Correspondence Center. [0:42] And then we got word that the plane is arriving. [0:46] And so in just a few moments, we will see both of them come off and they will be greeted, of course, by the president of the United States. [0:55] So, Elsa, let's just talk about what's at stake here with this visit. [1:00] Well, it makes me feel very patriotic seeing that aircraft with the Union flag on its tail land successfully at Andrews Air Base. [1:10] So, yes, the stakes are high, but the but the king is our diplomat in chief. [1:17] He is an expert at negotiating and the diplomatic skills and the ambassadorial role that he fulfills so well. [1:25] So, actually, I think he will be totally raring to go. [1:30] He will be waiting to get off that aircraft and begin this historic state visit, which I hope will end up forging that remarkable relationship with these two great nations, the U.K. and the U.S. [1:43] Elsa, stay with me. [1:44] I want you to follow along with the live pictures with us, please. [1:48] Our James Longman, who is our chief international correspondent, usually covering the royals from across the pond, is now here on our home turf, getting ready to see the king and the queen as they come down those steps and walk along the red carpet. [2:02] So, James, let's talk about this visit. [2:07] A lot of things looming over the visit. [2:09] I mean, the president has made it very clear that he is a fan of the king's. [2:15] He's been looking forward to this visit. [2:17] But there are a lot of talks to have about the war with Iran. [2:22] Also, Jeffrey Epstein and the victims of Epstein wanting to hear from the king because of the ties to his brother, Andrew. [2:31] So, many things to talk about, not just the problem and circumstance of the royals coming to the United States. [2:40] Yeah, Kira, you said a moment ago that I'm going to be welcoming the king and queen off the plane. [2:44] That isn't happening, sadly. [2:48] And it's partly because they want to keep journalists as far away from these people as they humanly possible. [2:52] We are at the back of the airport here. [2:54] We're not going to be allowed. [2:55] Well, I've been told we can't even speak when he gets off the plane. [2:57] There is a welcoming party in front of me where I'm looking now. [3:00] Apart from the bandstand, we've got the British ambassador who's here with his family and other officials from the British embassy. [3:05] And to the right here, oh, they're actually over, probably can't see them behind these stairs. [3:09] And then you've got the military waiting party here. [3:13] But, yeah, they're keeping us away because there's all kinds of really difficult topics which are looming over this trip. [3:19] You mentioned there the Iran war, absolutely. [3:22] All the stinging comments that Donald Trump has made, particularly about Keir Starmer, personal rebukes of the British prime minister. [3:27] The Epstein scandal, I think, is bigger. [3:29] It's a much more kind of controversial topic, which a lot of regular people up and down the country in the United Kingdom and across the United States really care deeply about the idea that, you know, people in positions of power have been abusing those positions for a long time. [3:45] And the two particular people that are in the firing line at the moment are the former Prince Andrew, of course, the brother of the king who's been stripped of his position in public life, and the former British ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, both of whom are being investigated for abuse of public office. [4:01] With regards to Jeffrey Epstein, neither of them have been charged. [4:04] The investigation is ongoing. [4:06] But, you know, those two individuals, very much part of the conversation in the United States, because Andrew was a trade envoy. [4:12] He traveled to the United States frequently. [4:13] And Mandelson, of course, was the ambassador, the predecessor of the man who was standing on the tarmac back there. [4:18] So these are issues which absolutely are going to be clouding this trip, whether or not they come up at any point. [4:25] The palace, certainly, and all the people who are sitting around me now are hoping very much that they do not. [4:29] But we'll have to wait and see. [4:30] Three long days ahead of King Charles, I think. [4:33] Okay. [4:33] You bring up a very good point. [4:35] And I did misspeak. [4:37] You're right. [4:37] You are not greeting your king. [4:40] You are here as a journalist. [4:42] That is very true. [4:43] I should say you are there as others greet him. [4:46] I guess I'm just so used to saying that because you're usually overseas and this is your king and your queen. [4:51] But, you know, you bring up a really good point, James, that in the United States, the president has no problem coming up to the cameras and taking questions. [5:02] And he knows he'll be peppered on departure and arrival and wherever he is. [5:07] And he usually talks and we take it live. [5:10] And it's a lot of usually riveting Q&A. [5:14] But it's very different with the king and the queen and protocol. [5:19] You don't see the king and the queen coming up to the mics and doing in-the-moment press conferences and letting all the reporters come into their space and ask whatever they want. [5:31] It is very protected, very private. [5:33] And I actually, I mean, tell me and correct me if I'm wrong. [5:38] I don't think I've ever seen the king and the queen hold a press conference with a bunch of reporters around them, right? [5:47] We would love that. [5:49] But that is not how it works. [5:50] The monarch never gives interviews. [5:52] The queen, I think the closest she ever got, was sitting down with actually a royal contributor and sitting and looking through family photographs and family albums. [6:02] But she never gave an actual sit-down interview in a way that we would understand it. [6:05] And the king, of course, in his capacity as monarch, has not and will not. [6:08] But what they are in our constitutional British system, monarchy, are figureheads. [6:14] He is the head of state. [6:16] He is not a politician. [6:17] And therefore, he will not answer questions from journalists. [6:20] He is here as a diplomat, really. [6:22] And Britain really needs a diplomat right now because the situation between the diplomatic situation between the U.K. and the U.S. are not good. [6:29] But conversations between diplomats tend to take place behind closed doors. [6:33] And that is what Charles will be here doing, having conversations, one assumes, with President Trump away from the cameras. [6:39] And that is what the palace and the White House feel is important here. [6:42] And that is part of the reason why. [6:44] There you go. [6:44] There's the plane going past me right now with the Union Jack on the back. [6:46] I should say the Union Jack, the British flag, for about two hours along Constitution Avenue in D.C., someone put the wrong flag up. [6:54] And the Australian flag was flying. [6:57] Not sure why. [6:58] It's got a British – it's got a Union Jack in the corner. [7:01] So that might be why they did it. [7:03] Well, it presumably is why. [7:04] Or maybe they looked at the list of flags and A comes first in the list. [7:07] Unclear to me. [7:08] But someone realized that the mistake had been made and they replaced it with the Union Jack. [7:12] I was on the Constitution Avenue this morning and I saw it for myself. [7:14] The right flag is flying. [7:16] Yeah. [7:17] Someone on the staff is definitely going to be in big trouble. [7:20] They're going to need to study their flag, especially when you have someone like the king and the queen arriving. [7:25] You know, you mentioned the politics. [7:27] I've got John Carl here next to me as well. [7:29] We also have Elsa Anderson, who used to be the press secretary to Queen Elizabeth. [7:33] She's with us. [7:35] So we have James and Elsa and John Carl. [7:38] John, we were going to talk about the White House Correspondents' Dinner, of course, and what happened over the weekend. [7:42] And also the suspect who has now been arraigned and we know the charges that he's facing. [7:48] But we also have this trip with the royals now landing here at Andrews Air Force Base. [7:56] Let's talk about what's going to happen and why this is not only an important time for the 250th of America, but there are a lot of serious issues. [8:08] Yeah, I have a couple of thoughts. [8:10] A couple of thoughts. [8:11] First, on a less than totally serious note, but not without seriousness, the description that James just gave of the fact that the royals just don't give interviews. [8:25] James, this is an opportunity, man. [8:27] That's the kind of exclusive we live for. [8:30] There you go. [8:30] I mean, I've seen Longman do some extraordinary reporting. [8:36] You know, I've seen him in war zones. [8:38] I've seen him get some major exclusives. [8:42] I think this could be the opportunity. [8:45] This would be his chance to yell at you questions. [8:46] But look, in all seriousness, although the king is, as James said, a figurehead, the ceremonial head of state of Great Britain, there is a very serious context for this trip. [9:04] U.S.-British relations are at a real low point. [9:07] I wouldn't say they're quite as low as when the Brits burned our White House and our Capitol building, but the relationship between our head of state and their prime minister is really strained. [9:21] And it's, you know, the Epstein issue is one issue, but really what has driven this is foreign policy, disagreements over how to handle Ukraine and how to support Ukraine in their war against Russia. [9:36] And then, of course, a real breakdown in relations over Iran. [9:43] And President Trump has gone off time and time and time again against Keir Starmer, resentful of the way that the U.K. was raised concerns about the United States military action against Iran, [10:02] would not come to the aid to open up the Straits of Hormuz, in Trump's view, and real disagreements over NATO. [10:12] So the context here is the president actually, although he has a very bad relationship with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, [10:19] he has a very good relationship with King Charles and with the British royal family. [10:23] He has been enthralled with the British royal family for a long, long time. [10:28] Keir Starmer, when I first met and interviewed Donald Trump back in 1994, he was talking to me in part about the British royal family. [10:37] He was giving me a tour of Trump Tower, and one of the points that he was making is the British royal family, he told me, owns, you know, one of the apartments there in Trump Tower, [10:48] and he was very proud of that fact. So, you know, the question is, can King Charles, with a bit of a charm offensive [10:55] and playing on President Trump's admiration and love of the British royal family, bridge the gap between the political leadership of the United States and the U.K.? [11:06] But is that something that King Charles really wants to delve into? [11:11] I think in private it is. I mean, and we've seen, look, we saw, you know, Queen Elizabeth, [11:17] also a ceremonial head of state, figurehead, if you will, played such a key role throughout her time as Queen, going back to World War II, [11:29] always behind the scenes, you know, never, you know, driving policy or driving negotiations between the two countries, [11:39] but playing a behind the scenes role. And I think that there is a very important context. [11:44] That relationship, it's called the special relationship, got off on the wrong foot in our country about 250 years ago. [11:52] But a very important relationship to the British, and it is incredibly strained right now. [12:02] Yeah, never hold a grudge, right? [12:05] James Longman, as we wait for the door to open, I know you would like, oh, okay. [12:11] All right, we'll get connected with James in just a second. [12:14] Ailsa Anderson, are we good to go? Okay, I'm getting different, getting conflicting messages. [12:19] Can I take it to James? James, are you able to hear me? [12:23] We're just waiting. [12:24] Okay. [12:25] I can hear you, Kira, yes. [12:26] Okay, very good. [12:27] I think the big difference between Elizabeth and Charles was that Elizabeth really, it's debatable how many opinions she really ever had on geopolitics, [12:35] and if she had any, she never made them public. She was a listener. I think many leaders loved her because she sat and she listened to what they had to say. [12:42] Charles is a different man. He has a lot of opinions, and he would be grateful of a chance maybe to share some of these behind closed doors with the American president. [12:50] That's the crucial difference between these two monarchs. Charles cares deeply about many issues, conservation, the environment. [12:57] He is someone who thinks quite deeply about quite a lot of issues, and I think he will relish the chance to be a diplomat on behalf of the British government. [13:06] The U.K. government is hoping that he can do something about the back and forth that there's been between the U.K. and the United States over these last few months. [13:16] But I think there will also be nervousness at the palace because Donald Trump is not above lashing out to anybody in the public eye, [13:23] and you would imagine that the pope, for example, would be off limits, another position of great power and importance in the world that one imagines there's a certain level of respect normally afforded. [13:32] That's not been the case these last few months. So the palace will be nervous about this. [13:36] They absolutely did not want there to be a Zelensky moment in the Oval Office, and that's part of the reason why we're all being kept so far back. [13:43] But I think behind the scenes, you can rest assured that King Charles will take his chances where he sees them with Donald Trump, on behalf of the United Kingdom anyway. [13:51] So, Elsa, I'm curious. You were press secretary to Queen Elizabeth. [13:56] If you were traveling with the king and the queen, what would you be telling them as they're getting ready to step off the aircraft onto U.S. soil amid some pretty tense times right now [14:11] between the U.S. and the U.K.? [14:14] I think I would advise them to listen, to be listened to, to be an advocate for U.K. PLC, [14:23] and to regain that incredible special relationship between the two countries. [14:30] But it will be a tightrope to walk. It can be unpredictable. [14:36] But I think if anyone can do it, the king can do it. [14:41] And I have to say, I raised a smile when James said he'd like to get an interview. [14:47] Famously, the late queen never gave an interview in the whole of her reign, but the king has. [14:51] But if I was advising him, I would certainly say, give an interview to ABC News, because they're the best. [14:57] Really? [14:58] I like this. I kind of like the sound of this, too. I wish Elsa was press secretary to King Charles right now. [15:06] By the way, if James needs a little help with that interview, Kara, we could probably... [15:10] We could all jump in on this. [15:11] Yeah, yeah, yeah. [15:12] We definitely would have a few questions to throw that way. [15:15] So, Elsa, just, you know, on a serious note, tell us, I mean, how far can the king go? [15:26] I mean, John, you were talking about the, you know, Keir Starmer and just the political role and then the diplomatic role. [15:35] So, I'm curious from Elsa, you know, how far can King Charles go? [15:41] What can he say? What can he suggest? [15:44] You know, what is his role supposed to be? [15:47] And will he, would he ever think about overstepping maybe his bounds? [15:52] I don't think he would overstep the boundaries on this visit. [15:56] This visit is far too important to the government and to the two nations. [16:01] So, I think he will absolutely not overstep the mark. [16:06] He will be advised by some excellent advisers within the Foreign Office and 10 Downing Street. [16:11] His private secretary is a former diplomat, a former ambassador. [16:14] So, he has some really key, influential, knowledgeable staff surrounding him to advise him. [16:21] And he does listen to advice. [16:23] So, I think he will be playing it safe. [16:27] But he will listen. [16:28] And if he does need to interject in private, I think he will because he knows that President Trump will listen to him. [16:37] Because President Trump has said, you know, I do respect and admire the king. [16:41] I mean, I think that the message here is a fairly obvious one. [16:49] I mean, to the king, the relationship between the United States and Great Britain is a very important one. [16:56] And I think the message is one to President Trump. [17:00] Don't let a, you know, disputes with an individual prime minister or even an individual ruling party in Great Britain [17:08] damage the relationship between the United States and you, between the United States and Great Britain. [17:18] That is a relationship that is bigger than any one president. [17:21] It's bigger than any one prime minister. [17:23] James. [17:27] Hi. [17:28] Still here, waiting and watching. [17:30] They've literally rolled out the red carpet now. [17:32] So, and the band is on their way, moving towards the plane. [17:34] See the British ambassador lining up there, waiting to, welcoming off the plane. [17:38] When he goes from here, by the way, he's going to head to Blair House in D.C., and then he's going to go and meet the chumps for that informal tea. [17:45] But right there on the, on the tarmac waiting for him is the British ambassador. [17:49] And that is a reminder of one of the big issues that's looming here because his predecessor is Peter Mandelson. [17:53] And he was removed from office because of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. [17:56] Everywhere Charles turns on this trip, he's going to be reminded of that looming over this whole royal affair. [18:04] So I think that'll be a nervous, a nervous issue that the palace will be watching for and the White House. [18:10] I think, I don't know, between, John will know better than me, but I think the palace on balance is probably more nervous about this trip than the White House will be, I would have thought. [18:18] But we'll, we'll see to what level, you know, the two of them are, Donald Trump and King Charles, will be allowed to sort of speak freely in front of any camera. [18:29] I'm hoping that they will be because it will be fascinating to see, if nothing else, at least the body language of the king. [18:35] But this is a skilled diplomat, you know, he knows what he's doing. [18:37] He's been around a long time. [18:38] He might not have been king that long, but he was Prince of Wales for just about longer than anybody else. [18:42] So he is experienced in these affairs. [18:44] I think this is his 19th trip to the United States. [18:46] So he's no stranger to this country. [18:49] His first time here as king, then. [18:51] Once they step out, once we start to hear the music, we will go ahead and listen to the moment. [18:57] But, John, that's an interesting point that James brings up. [19:01] We know how President Trump loves to go to the cameras in moments like this, anytime he has a dignitary or, you know, someone of such high stature visiting. [19:10] But that's not the king's style. [19:12] Could this be different, different times? [19:16] You know, I think that the president has now had several visits, royal visits. [19:22] He's, you know, he's been welcomed twice. [19:26] Royal visit, there he is, King Charles. [19:29] And Queen Camilla. [19:31] Coming down. [19:32] Do we want to listen in? [19:33] Okay, let's listen in. [20:51] Elsa, I want to bring you in on this because if you were traveling with the queen, you would be there by her side. [20:57] Just let's talk about, as they land here on U.S. soil symbolically, strategically, politically, we're talking about three very important levels of this visit. [21:17] Overlapping levels, I guess we should say. [21:19] It's not just symbolic, but we have the whole issue strategically and politically of what's happening across the globe. [21:30] We do indeed. [21:31] And I just see standing behind the king and queen is, of course, our foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper. [21:36] So I'm sure during the plane ride to the United States, the king would have had a proper opportunity to be well briefed by the foreign secretary on this forthcoming visit. [21:51] Tell us more about just this moment. [21:54] It's very different, you know, here in the United States because the president usually talks. [21:59] They usually mingle with reporters. [22:01] But that's not the way of the king and the queen. [22:03] It's not. [22:04] And that's historic. [22:06] Whatever country they would be in. [22:08] I mean, they're not politicians. [22:09] They're not celebrities. [22:11] They are members of the royal family. [22:13] And there is a certain way of doing something. [22:15] So you're absolutely right. [22:17] They have disembarked from the aircraft. [22:19] They would have traveled with their director of royal travel who ensures that the aircraft is in the exact spot for when they can get the red carpet and greet the receiving party, [22:29] which included, of course, Sir Christian Turner, the U.K. ambassador in Washington. [22:35] And then they will travel at, I would have thought, quite a slow pace to the capital to embark on afternoon tea with the president and the first lady. [22:48] So, John, let's talk about what will happen next. [22:53] Clearly, the protocol, the diplomatic nature of this, the symbolism. [22:58] But behind closed doors, this, quote-unquote, special relationship that we were talking about, there could be some things that come out of this time that maybe we're not expecting. [23:11] I mean, I think that it's more than a typical royal visit. [23:15] I mean, it will have all the pomp. [23:16] I mean, President Trump is going to respect the distance, I firmly believe. [23:21] He breaks a lot of tradition. [23:22] He's not going to break this one. [23:25] They'll be staying right there on the White House complex at Blair House. [23:29] And there will be conversations without the cameras present. [23:33] And I don't think there is any doubt that the strain in the U.S.-British relationship, as it stands right now, will be a topic of those discussions. [23:44] But it will not be a topic. [23:45] It's not going to play out the way the meeting with Zelensky and the Oval Alphas played out. [23:51] It's not going to play out like so many other meetings with political leaders have played out with the president. [23:56] Allies will be watching, right? [23:57] Allies will be watching, seeing what the messaging is like, right? [24:01] And the messaging is, I think, what you are seeing here, which is great respect for the British royal family expressed by President Trump and by the leadership of the United States of America, [24:14] despite the rather vicious words that we have seen expressed towards the prime minister, Keir Starmer, and over a long period of time. [24:24] I mean, it's been a really deteriorating relationship. [24:27] I mean, I can't recall in my time covering politics of, you know, a more tense time between the political leadership of our country and of the U.K. [24:40] So, Elsa, let me ask you this from a press secretary's perspective. [24:45] Would there be any type of phone call or briefing or communication between the king and the prime minister before a trip like this? [24:54] Well, of course, there is the traditional weekly audience with the prime minister that has historically has gone on for time in memoriam. [25:04] So, of course, the king and Sir Keir Starmer do meet on a weekly basis. [25:10] And the most wonderful thing about this meeting is nothing is ever made public afterwards. [25:16] So, it's almost like a confessional. [25:19] The prime minister of the day can speak to the monarch and can say what's on his or her mind, can say what is concerning him or her. [25:27] And they know whatever they say, it won't be leaked to the media or anywhere else. [25:32] So, you know, it's almost like a safe space. [25:34] So, I'm sure the main topic of conversation between this weekly audience, between the king and the prime minister, has been the state visit. [25:42] Interesting what Elsa says, that it will be private and it won't be leaked. [25:47] They're coming into a country where leaks happen all the time. [25:51] I mean, think about the Trump administration. [25:53] Think about people within the White House. [25:54] Think of sources that we talk to and how we break stories. [25:58] Is it possible that the king and the president can meet without a leak? [26:03] I mean, there will be an official readout that will come from the White House and I assume from the palace. [26:09] But, you know, believe it or not, this may sound surprising. [26:15] There are things that even out of the Trump White House do not leak. [26:18] At least not right away. [26:20] They come out eventually. [26:21] Yes, they do. [26:22] But they can keep a lid on it. [26:25] I mean, I assume we'll learn some details of this conversation. [26:30] But, you know, Trump does know how to be discreet with meetings that are meant to be discreet. [26:39] And final thoughts for James. [26:40] Are you following the motorcade? [26:42] Are you staying there at Andrews? [26:43] Will we be able to talk to you as this visit begins, James? [26:49] Yes, absolutely. [26:50] The motorcade is leaving now. [26:51] It's absolutely huge and I'm reliably informed apparently that in American motorcades you don't have non-American made cars. [26:57] Well, one of them is not American made. [26:59] It's a BMW and it is a German made. [27:02] Obviously, a British king got into a German car. [27:04] But that is the car presumably supplied by the British embassy. [27:07] And off they go in this absolutely colossal motorcade. [27:10] The British king is not used to anything like this. [27:12] When he travels through London, at most there are two or three cars, police outriders to stop traffic. [27:18] But there are, I don't know, 30 cars in this thing? [27:21] Well, there you go. [27:22] Welcome to America. [27:23] There you go. [27:23] Welcome to America. [27:24] Diplomacy has begun. [27:27] All countries represented in the cars, in the caravan. [27:31] They're from Joint Base Andrews headed to the White House. [27:35] James Longman, thank you so much. [27:36] John Carl, always appreciate you. [27:38] Elsa Anderson, always great to have you along for a royal ride. [27:41] A lot more news ahead. [27:42] Don't go far. [27:43] We'll be right back. [27:43] kleineями. [27:44] Okay. [27:45] Thank you. [27:45] You do. [27:46] Hi. [27:48] Bye. [27:49] ikkila. [27:56] Thanks, man. [27:57] You'll see. [27:58] Give me the hell. [27:59] You're shining. [28:00] Kingdom. [28:00] You're shining. [28:01] Your shining. [28:01] You're shining. [28:02] It's the opening. [28:02] I'm a silver. [28:03] A half sensitive. [28:04] My world's beautiful. [28:04] You're shining. [28:05] You're shining. [28:05] And the new invasion. [28:06] You're shining. [28:07] I'm in. [28:08] You're shining. [28:09] It's. [28:09] You're shining. 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