President Trump, the King, and a special relationship

President Trump, the King, and a special relationship

From From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

May 2, 2026 · 28 min

About this episode

Kate Adie introduces stories on the King and Queen's visit to Washington, the current mood inside Iran, elections in Gaza and the West Bank, and the political situation in West Bengal.

Kate Adie introduces stories on the King and Queen's visit to Washington, the current mood inside Iran, elections in Gaza and the West Bank, and why fish are front and centre in the politics of West Bengal. King Charles and Queen Camilla's state visit to Washington came at a fragile moment in the UK-US relationship. A gulf has opened up between the two nations over issues such as Ukraine, defence spending, tariffs, and the Iran War. Sarah Smith reflects on how far the visit has helped restore the 'special relationship'. Donald Trump’s admiration for the traditions of the Royal Family was on full display during the visit, as he praised the King as an ‘elegant man’. Sean Coughlan has travelled with the King on previous tours, and reveals what made this one different. Inflation has soared to 50 per cent in Iran and people continue to struggle with rising prices of staples such as rice, eggs and cheese, as the stand-off in the Strait of Hormuz continues to disrupt trade. Lyse Doucet reflects on her recent encounters while visiting Tehran. Municipal elections were held last weekend in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. Hamas was officially excluded from participating, as the Palestinian…

People in this episode

Host: Kate Adie

Topics covered

  • UK-US relations
  • state visit
  • Iran economy
  • Gaza elections
  • West Bengal politics
  • Trump and the Royal Family

Keywords

  • King Charles
  • Queen Camilla
  • Donald Trump
  • Iran inflation
  • Gaza elections
  • West Bengal
  • UK-US relationship
  • Hamas
  • Trinamool Congress

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hamas, Trinamool Congress

Places: Iran, Gaza, West Bank, Washington, UK, US

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