President Donald Trump waves to the media before boarding Marine One in Washington, DC, on Thursday. Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
When President Donald Trump arrives at Windsor Castle in a royal carriage Wednesday, heralded by three separate military bands and escorted by riders on horseback, his host — King Charles III — will in some ways be repaying a nearly 37-year-old favor.
In 1988, the then-Prince of Wales was a guest for tea at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s own mansion in Palm Beach, Florida. The visit offered the real estate developer the royal imprimatur, even if Charles elected to spend the night at a horse ranch some distance away rather than sleep at Trump’s club.
Long reverent of the British royal family, Trump’s visit to the United Kingdom this week offers a similar opportunity: a