Many world leaders figured out how to “deal” with Donald Trump during his first term. Trump is an idiot who enjoys flattery, pretty pictures and the trappings of fame and wealth. He loves meeting celebrities and royals, he enjoys getting photographed at big events, and he loves getting his ego stroked. President Macron understood this. So did Boris Johnson, who was the British prime minister for a good chunk of Trump’s first term. The Johnson government happily organized some of their biggest diplomatic setpieces for Trump: a state visit, with full access to the Windsors. Trump ate it up. Keir Starmer’s government is basically running the same play – they sent Prince William to meet with Trump in Paris, and it’s more than likely that King Charles and Camilla will have to immediately host the Trumps for another state visit next year. The NY Times breaks down why the UK will be deploying the Windsors to massage Trump’s ego a lot in the coming years:

The Starmer government will deploy the royals: With the Trump restoration imminent and the British government now led by a left-of-center prime minister, Keir Starmer, who could find himself politically at odds with Mr. Trump, the crown may end up being a useful weapon in Britain’s campaign to keep the president-elect’s affections. On Saturday, Mr. Trump forged ties to the next generation, meeting Prince William, the 42-year-old son of King Charles III, after both attended the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. His comments afterward left little doubt that Mr. Trump savors his exposure to royals of any age.

Trump’s comments about Charles’s health: Some interpreted his reference to the king as ominous, while others brushed it off as an innocent case of oversharing by Mr. Trump. Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, where William has his office, declined to comment on the remarks or on the health of Charles.

The British plan to stay close to America: Either way, Mr. Trump’s affection for the Windsors is palpable. Diplomats and historians said they could imagine Charles being an emollient presence if Mr. Starmer proceeds with his plan to draw Britain closer to the European Union — something Mr. Trump vehemently discouraged in his first term. “Britain’s relationship could become much more strained with the United States,” said Ed Owens, a royal historian. “You could see them using the monarchy strategically to maintain as warm relations as possible while continuing the process of rehabilitating the relationship with Europe.”

Can King Charles really change Trump’s positions though: There is a deep disquiet in London about Mr. Trump’s plans to impose tariffs on trading partners and withdraw support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, not to mention his suspicion of NATO and hostility for the Paris climate accord. Some cautioned that Charles, for all his well-honed diplomacy, will not budge Mr. Trump from these positions. “It’s a useful piece of soft power, but up to a point,” said Kim Darroch, who served as ambassador to Washington during Mr. Trump’s first term. “I’m not sure you’re going to get any big concessions from him because he likes the royal family.”

Charles & Trump both like the Middle East: Sally Bedell Smith, who has written several biographies of the royal family, noted that Mr. Trump had encountered Charles before. He played host to him at Mar-a-Lago during the prince’s visit to Palm Beach County, Fla., in 1988, in which he played polo. And Mr. Trump’s younger brother, Robert Trump, who died in 2020, was a major benefactor of the prince’s philanthropies. Ms. Smith said Charles and Mr. Trump had moved in some of the same rarefied circles, including among the royal families of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which could play into the president’s geopolitical agenda. “Trump is portraying himself as a peacemaker, and Charles has great relations with all those Gulf leaders,” she noted.

[From The NY Times]

They’re correctly pointing out that the Windsors will be used to keep Britain on Trump’s good side, but that the Windsors won’t be able to fundamentally change Trump’s politics or policies. No amount of wining or dining at the palace will change Trump’s plans for Ukraine or NATO. But I think the Starmer government’s math is that the wining and dining doesn’t hurt, and you never know who will be able to reach this lunatic. Macron is making a similar plan of action, and I would imagine there are several European and Asian leaders who are doing the same.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.