King Charles III's visit to the USA has ended. Trump called him the greatest king and lifted tariffs on Scotch whisky

Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The four-day state visit of King Charles III of Great Britain and Queen Camilla to the USA has concluded. US President Donald Trump, in his farewell, called Charles "the greatest king" and announced the lifting of tariffs on Scotch whisky, writes the BBC.

On Thursday afternoon local time, King Charles and his wife departed from Andrews Air Force Base near Washington for the Bahamas – a British overseas territory in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 1300 km from Washington.

On Thursday, the last day of the visit, Donald Trump and his wife ceremoniously saw off Charles and Camilla at the White House, after which the royal couple laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, and then went to a street celebration in a town in Virginia.

After seeing off the royal couple, Donald Trump announced on his social network Truth Social that, in honor of the King and Queen, he was lifting some tariffs on Scotch whisky. Trump's mother, Mary MacLeod, was Scottish.

"I will eliminate tariffs and restrictions on whisky that are relevant to Scotland's ability to cooperate with the Commonwealth of Kentucky [the official name of the state of Kentucky - BBC] on whisky and bourbon. Two very important industries in Scotland and Kentucky," Trump's post on Truth Social states.

— The King and Queen, almost without even asking for it, made me do something no one else could. It's a tremendous honor that they came to the USA."

In response to this news, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson stated that the King expressed his "sincere gratitude" to Trump and would "raise a glass" to the President.

Scotland's First Minister John Swinney called it "stunning news for Scotland" and said he was grateful to the King for the key role he played.

Swinney added: "The Scottish economy was losing millions of pounds every month."

The main buyer of used bourbon barrels from Kentucky is the Scottish industry, which imports them annually to the tune of approximately 200 million pounds for aging Scotch whisky.

A brief farewell ceremony took place at and in front of the White House on Thursday morning.

"The ceremony highlighted the difference in approach between the president and the king. Donald Trump happily chatted in front of the cameras. The King, it seems, showed less enthusiasm," noted the BBC correspondent.

As the royal couple departed, Trump told reporters: "Great people! We need more people like them in our country."

While posing as a foursome in front of the White House, Trump pointed to Charles and said: "Great King! The greatest King, as far as I'm concerned!"

Success with unclear consequences

As BBC correspondents note, for Anglo-American relations, the King's visit was clearly successful, but how long this success will last, given Trump's character, is completely unclear.

During the visit, on April 29, the US President stated, in particular, that Americans have no closer friends than the British.

In a speech to Congress, the King emphasized in every way the importance of cooperation between London and Washington — including in the military sphere and on the issue of aid to Ukraine.

Commentators on both sides of the pond [Atlantic Ocean] considered the visit of the King and Queen a diplomatic success — but the question of whether this positive mood will remain after the royal couple leaves [...], remains.

After bidding farewell to Trump, Charles and Camilla proceeded to the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington.

They then went to a "block party," a street celebration, in the relatively nearby town of Front Royal, Virginia. There they were met, in particular, by the state governor, Democratic Party member Abigail Spanberger.

The King and Queen watched a parade of orchestras, dance groups, and vintage cars and tasted local delicacies.

The royal couple then also visited Shenandoah National Park near Front Royal, where, among other things, they personally met the symbol bird of the USA, the bald eagle.

And only after that did they head to the airfield.

On Wednesday evening, the royal couple spent time at Rockefeller Center, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the King's Trust, a royal charity that helps children and young people with education and starting businesses.

The celebration was attended by the famous pop singer of the 1970s and 1980s, now a worldwide ambassador for the royal trust, Lionel Richie.

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