At a state dinner in the East Room of the White House during a state visit to the US on 28/4, King Charles III presented President Donald Trump with a golden bell, a gleaming gift perfectly suited to the "Trump" style.

"'Mr. President, I am delighted to present you with a personal gift: a bell that once hung on the command bridge of a ship bearing your name,' the British King stated, before signaling for an aide to bring out the prepared gift."

The bell's surface bore the clear inscription TRUMP 1944. This was the bell from the submarine HMS Trump, launched from a British shipyard in 1944, which saw combat in the Pacific during World War II.

President Trump rose from his seat, observing the new bell with admiration. He then glanced at First Lady Melania, as if to say, "see that, my dear?", according to Shawn McCreesh, the White House correspondent for NYTimes.

"'May it serve as a testament to the shared history and bright future of our two nations. And if you need to contact us, just ring the bell,' King Charles remarked."

King Charles III at the state dinner in the East Room of the White House on 28/4. *AFP*

The entire room erupted in applause. With a beaming expression, President Trump gave a thumbs-up, signaling his appreciation for the British King.

However, when Trump rose to speak, the US President created a diplomatic challenge for King Charles, addressing an issue the British monarch preferred to avoid.

Skimming a section of his prepared remarks about locations where Americans and Britons had fought side-by-side, Trump deviated from the text, stating, "we're also doing some work in the Middle East and we're doing very well."

Trump had recently expressed frustration with Britain, as the long-standing ally declined to join a potentially risky conflict against Iran or deploy warships to assist in reopening the Hormuz Strait. The US President had previously dismissed Britain's aircraft carrier as a "toy" and voiced his displeasure with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. At the state dinner for King Charles, Trump rekindled these contentious points in the bilateral relationship.

"'We have defeated that adversary militarily and we will never let that adversary...', he began, seemingly referring to Iran, before pausing. 'Mr. Charles would surely agree that we will never let that adversary possess nuclear weapons'."

He then reverted to his prepared speech. However, these off-script remarks almost drew King Charles into a political debate, a situation the British monarch was keen to avoid.

King Charles III commenced his address by referencing the chaos from last weekend, when a gunman attempted to breach the Washington Hilton hotel ballroom while the President, First Lady, and most of the cabinet were present. "'Keep calm and carry on'," the King quipped.

US President Donald Trump (right) and King Charles III at the state dinner in the White House on 28/4. *AFP*

His speech wove in historical elements, including his first encounter with a US president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, at Balmoral when he was 10 years old.

He also recounted how former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, one of Trump's idols, during a stay at the White House, "emerged from the bath naked and discovered the door open as President Franklin D. Roosevelt entered for a conversation."

"'With wit, he dispelled all awkwardness by declaring that 'The British Prime Minister has nothing to hide from the US President'," Charles recounted.

He also delivered jests aimed at Trump that others might not have dared. "'Mr. President, you recently commented that without the US, European countries would now be speaking German. May I humbly suggest that, without us, you would now be speaking French!'," Charles stated.

King Charles speaks at the state dinner in the White House. *AFP*

The King recalled that his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II's visit in 1957, helped restore the "special" in the "special relationship" with the US following a Middle East crisis. He then added, "nearly 70 years on, it's hard to imagine something similar happening today."

There was little laughter in response to that remark. However, after the King concluded his speech, Trump smiled and patted the British monarch on the shoulder.

"'You did very well,' he said, turning to admire the newly presented Trump bell. 'It's beautiful!'."

Thanh Tam (*According to NY Times, AFP, Reuters*)