Donald Trump’s White House does not do soft power. On Tuesday afternoon, King Charles delivered a masterclass in nuanced diplomacy as he addressed the US Congress in a careful speech, laced with reminders of our nations’ shared democratic commitment to “the principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances”. Even before he finished speaking, the Trump administration had reverted to its default vocabulary: online rage-bait.

A photograph shared across the White House’s social media platforms showed the King and President together, laughing as they waved to crowds. In block capitals, the caption: “TWO KINGS”. Donald wasn’t targeting his friend Charlie – far from it. The post was deliberately calibrated to wind up American liberals and leftists, particularly those who last month joined the latest in a series of “No Kings” protests, denouncing the President’s accretion of executive power.

But whether Trump cares it or not, it will also embarrass his British guest. The incident serves as a reminder of the golden rule of diplomatic engagement with Trump. However hard America’s allies work to engage with nuance and care, this President will reframe the terms of the conversation with a single tweet.

Does Trump understand what it means to be a king? Not in the sense that Charles defines it. Charles is a constrained king who in his younger years made no secret of his yen for greater political power; Trump is a politician who........

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