Lee Cohen

Trump, monarchy and the waning power of Hollywood

Donald Trump with Prince William in Paris (Credit: Getty images)

Donald Trump has yet to comment on the Prince Andrew ‘Chinese spy’ story, and online sleuths are already trying to join the vague dots between Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and the Duke of York. But the real story about Donald Trump and monarchy is the extent of his admiration for the British crown. At the big reopening of Notre Dame cathedral, other heads of state seemed desperate to make their impression on the President-elect. Yet for Trump, what really mattered was his encounter with the Prince of Wales.  

‘I had a great talk with the prince,’ Trump told the New York Post. ‘He’s a good-looking guy,’ the President-elect went on. ‘He looked really, very handsome last night. Some people look better in person. He looked great. He looked really nice, and I told him that.’

For Trump, the monarchy symbolises something transcendent: a continuity of history, tradition, and stability

As any good royalist will tell you, Trump’s affection for the monarchy underscores the institution’s enduring significance – and his goodwill towards Britain.

Written by
Lee Cohen
Lee Cohen, a senior fellow of the Bow Group and the Bruges Group, was adviser on Great Britain to the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee and founded the Congressional United Kingdom Caucus.

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