King Charles sends personal message of congratulations to Trump on swearing-in

Britain’s head of state King Charles III sent a personal message of congratulations to President Trump on his inauguration, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.

The message reflected the ‘enduring special relationship between the U.K. and the U.S.,’ a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace told Fox News Digital.

The letter was delivered as Trump was sworn in for a second term as commander-in-chief at the Capitol Rotunda on Monday, capping a remarkable return to office.

Further details about the contents of the message have yet to be revealed. 

It’s not the first time the monarch has written to Trump. King Charles also wrote to the president in July in the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Trump has often spoke about his strong admiration for the monarchy and previously referred to King Charles as ‘a wonderful guy.’

During his state visit to the U.K. in 2019, President Trump said he had an ‘automatic chemistry’ with Queen Elizabeth II and described her as a ‘spectacular woman.’

Trump and Charles are no strangers – the two leaders have met several times over the years.

They first crossed paths in 2005, when Charles and Queen Camilla visited the U.S. They met again at President George H.W. Bush’s funeral in 2018.

In 2019, the two met to discuss climate change, and a meeting that was scheduled to last 15 minutes lasted an hour and a half, according to comments Trump made at the time. He added then that Charles, a longtime environmentalist, ‘did most of the talking.’

Following the visit, Clarence House said Trump and Charles have a ‘good working relationship.’

It is unclear if President Trump will be invited back to the U.K. for a state visit during his second term. The Telegraph reported last month that any such visit would be unlikely to happen until at least 2026, given the schedule of King Charles.

King Charles and Queen Camilla may receive an invitation to Washington, D.C., next year to attend the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

King Charles has made the acquaintance of 10 of the 14 U.S. presidents who have held office since he was born in 1948, according to the Associated Press.

He was just 10 when he checked off his first president in 1959. That was when Dwight Eisenhower visited Queen Elizabeth II and her family at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where she died on Sept. 8, 2022, after a 70-year reign. Charles then ascended the throne after the queen’s passing.

Charles never met Harry Truman, Gerald Ford, Lyndon Johnson and John F. Kennedy.

Last month, President Trump and Prince William shook hands at the re-opening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and afterward held a sit-down meeting at the British Embassy. 

Trump and William also separately met with world leaders at Notre Dame, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

Meanwhile, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer posted a video message of congratulations to President Trump on Monday. He spoke about the deep ties both nations share and said he looked forward to taking ‘our partnership to the next level.’

‘For centuries, the relationship between our two nations has been one of collaboration, cooperation and enduring partnership. It is a uniquely close bond,’ Starmer, who met President Trump in September, said. 

‘Together we have defended the world from tyranny and worked towards our mutual security and prosperity.’ 

Fox News’ Emily Trainham and Brie Stimson, as well as The Associated Press, contributed to this report.