Never underestimate the statecraft of the British monarchy - Jayne Dowle

But we should not under-estimate the significance of His Majesty taking a stand and extending his support to both. As monarch, he is treading into dangerous territory by wading into politics; we can only imagine what his late mother would have done in the same situation or thought about his actions.

Indeed, few people ever knew what Queen Elizabeth II actually thought, but she has obviously passed down her innate understanding of ‘soft power’, schooled as a young princess by the likes of wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill, to her heir.

Thankfully for our nerves, there were no TV cameras present to record the proceedings, but it left us all wondering what was said – and what might happen next.

The first big question is, can – and should - a monarch rise above the fray and help to bring about peace? The answer depends on the monarch. And Charles comes particularly equipped for the role.

He has not been King for three full years yet, and during that time has been seriously ill. His close family, with his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, also dealing with cancer, shows little sign of mending its differences; his role as paterfamilias has been damaged by his younger son and this must sadden him.

Charles had to wait until his 70s before he came to the throne. For decades, he threw himself into causes and charities. Bound by his position as king-in-waiting however, he has been forced to play a subservient and therefore, for a man known for his keen intelligence and curiosity, frustrating role.

He has been waiting all his life to find a true purpose, and through a remarkably rapid-fire succession of global events, perhaps that of peacemaker has now come to him.

His role is three-fold; keep building bridges with America, show that Brexit or not, the UK is still part of Europe, with his continued and personal support for Ukraine, and, last but not least, support the Commonwealth.

Charles owns, excuse, the pun, a trump card here. He knows, surely, that if one thing impresses President Trump, it is the British monarchy. An odd quirk of MAGA (Make America Great Again), perhaps, given the battles that country fought to be free of British oversight, but Trump has Scottish roots and golf courses here.

Only a fool would second-guess Trump’s next quixotic reaction, but obviously it will have registered that the British monarch welcomed Zelensky almost as soon as the Ukrainian leader’s jet touched down in England, then in a surprising development, also extended the hand of support to Trudeau.

After all, Trump has made no secret of his desire to annex Canada and turn the country into the 51st state; this action on Charles’ part must surely remind the US President that the country is actually part of the British Commonwealth and it is he who is head of state.

Any incursion across the border by the US would be stepping right up against not only the Canadians, but the British behind them. Would Trump really risk that? Canada is also part of NATO.

And the next big question is, how will the King’s determination to listen to all sides square with the unprecedented second state visit he has promised to Trump, carriages up the Mall, state banquet and all the trappings?

Understandably, given the heat, there are calls for the visit to be postponed, even scrapped. There have even been fears expressed for President Trump’s personal safety in the UK, under threats of protests. The Metropolitan Police must already be wondering who exactly is going to foot the security bill.

There’s no reason why Balmoral shouldn’t go ahead, surely, and forthwith. The King is rapidly assuming the role of pivot, a diplomatic bridge. Would Trump refuse the offer of a few days in his beloved Scotland, even though it would mean shaking the hand of a man who recently shook that of Zelensky and reassured a worried Trudeau? Probably not. So never underestimate the statecraft of the British monarchy; they’ve had centuries to practice it.