US President Donald Trump yesterday asserted that the US has “no closer friends than the British” during a grand White House reception ceremony attended by King Charles and Queen Camilla, amid tensions between the two countries centred on the war in Iran.

On the second day of the British royal couple’s official visit to the US, the king is expected to deliver a speech before the US Congress later in the day.

Yesterday, Charles and Camilla were formally received at the White House by Donald and Melania Trump during a military ceremony. 21 cannon shots were fired for their arrival.

“What a beautiful British day,” the US president said, joking about the drizzle from a platform set up on the White House’s South Lawn.

“Since we gained our independence several centuries ago, Americans have not had closer friends than the British,” the US President said, adding that the two countries have a “special relationship and we hope it will always be that way.”

Queen Camilla wore a pale green ensemble and First Lady Melania Trump was dressed in white, but both wore wide-brimmed hats.

Then Donald Trump and Charles will have a private meeting in the Oval Office, while their spouses will attend an event dedicated to education and AI. The royal couple will return to the White House at the end of the day for a dinner.

In between, Charles will deliver a speech, lasting about 20 minutes, before the US Congress.

“It is a huge privilege to welcome you (…) Then you’ll go to Congress where you’ll give a speech that will make everyone jealous of your wonderful, very elegant accent,” Donald Trump joked.

The royal couple are making a four-day official visit to the US to highlight the ties between Britain and its former colony 250 years after American independence, a connection known in recent decades as the “special relationship”. In his remarks, Trump referred to the king as “a very elegant man” and joked that his mother “was in love with Charles.”

But he also highlighted the bonds of friendship that have developed between the British and Americans since they were rivals during the War of Independence and the “wounds of war” it caused.

“Think about that long, long ago difficult war, and yet those wounds did indeed heal and turn into the most cherished friendship,”

As they exchanged jokes over dinner, Charles referred to comments the US president made to European allies. “You recently commented, Mr. President, that if it weren’t for the United States, European countries would be speaking German. I dare say that if it weren’t for us, you would be speaking French,” the British king joked.