As Britain publicly distances itself from President Donald Trump’s Iran pressure campaign, King Charles III’s upcoming visit is shaping up as more than royal pageantry. 

It may be Britain’s most important diplomatic tool for preventing growing policy fractures with Washington from becoming something deeper.

“The British monarch has historically had huge importance in terms of creating personal diplomacy to smooth over ruffled feathers,” Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based think tank, told Fox News Digital, arguing that the crown has often served as Britain’s strategic stabilizer during moments of political strain.

Mendoza said Charles could play a critical role at a moment when Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government and Trump appear increasingly divided over Iran, defense strategy and the future shape of the transatlantic alliance.

TRUMP SLAMS STARMER AS ‘NOT WINSTON CHURCHILL’ FOR REFUSAL TO BACK IRAN STRIKES

“King Charles has the opportunity, through personal diplomacy, to create a new beginning with Donald Trump,” Mendoza said.

Britain’s balancing act became clearer Monday when Deputy Minister Stephen Doughty publicly rejected U.S. blockade tactics against Iran, while still backing Washington’s broader effort to secure maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

“While the U.K. doesn’t support the U.S. blockade, it supports working with the United States and others to reopen the Strait of Hormuz,” Doughty said ahead of a U.N. Security Council meeting, according to The Associated Press, warning Tehran cannot be allowed to hold “the rest of the world to ransom.”

The split underscores London’s effort to support U.S. security goals without fully endorsing Trump’s “economic fury” strategy, which aims to strangle Iran’s economic lifelines through aggressive maritime pressure.

That policy divergence has intensified scrutiny over whether Charles’ visit is now functioning as a diplomatic pressure valve.

A White House spokesperson emphasized the visit as a sign of enduring personal rapport between the president and the monarch. “President Trump has always had great respect for King Charles, and their relationship was further strengthened by the president’s historic trip to the United Kingdom last year,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital. “The president enjoyed welcoming their majesties to the White House, and he looks forward to more special events throughout the week.”

AS AIRSTRIKES RAIN DOWN ON THE IRANIAN REGIME, CAN A FRACTURED OPPOSITION UNITE TO LEAD IF IT FALLS?

Mendoza pointed to Queen Elizabeth II’s past interventions as evidence that the monarchy can sometimes succeed where elected leaders cannot.

He cited Elizabeth’s historic role in easing tensions with Ireland and described royal diplomacy as uniquely positioned to create trust at the personal level.

“People often wonder why the British monarchy still exists in the 21st century,” Mendoza said. “This is why.”

Still, Mendoza was careful not to overstate the king’s role.

Charles, he said, is unlikely to directly influence specific policies on Iran, NATO or military cooperation. Instead, his greatest value lies in shaping what Mendoza called the “general mood music” around Trump’s willingness to engage.

“It’s more a question of general mood music, which could make the president more receptive to interesting solutions,” Mendoza said.

That distinction may prove crucial.

Rather than forcing policy alignment, Charles could help preserve the broader strategic atmosphere needed to keep Washington and London functioning as close allies even while their elected governments disagree.

KING CHARLES SENDS PERSONAL MESSAGE OF CONGRATULATIONS TO TRUMP ON SWEARING-IN

For Britain, that may be particularly important as outside analysts warn that the “special relationship” is under mounting structural strain.

In an analysis published Monday, Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow Matthias Matthijs argued that while the royal visit offers “spectacle and ritual,” it is unlikely to reverse what he described as the deeper unraveling of U.S.–U.K. ties.

Matthijs pointed to Trump’s repeated criticisms of Starmer about immigration, energy policy and Britain’s posture toward the U.S.-Israeli confrontation with Iran, suggesting Charles may now be doing much of the diplomatic “heavy lifting” required to preserve British access to Trump.

Meanwhile, constitutional scholars in Britain have also raised concerns.

Writing for the U.K. Constitutional Law Association earlier in April, Francesca Jackson warned that using the monarch as a diplomatic instrument during periods of sharp political volatility could expose the Crown to political backlash or “potential embarrassment,” especially if Charles is perceived as caught between Trump and Starmer.

That risk reflects the broader stakes.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

If Trump embraces Charles while continuing to criticize Starmer, the visit could preserve royal rapport while underscoring political dysfunction, effectively creating a parallel diplomatic lane between Washington and the British Crown.

But for now, Mendoza argues, the monarchy’s purpose is not governance, but access to the king, which may still have a chance to keep the relationship from fracturing beyond repair.

Fox News Digital reached out to Prime Minister Starmer’s office for comment. 

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Nevada judge sentenced “Dances With Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse on Monday to life in prison for sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls.

A jury had previously convicted him of 13 charges, mostly related to sexual assault of three women.

Accusers and their families told Judge Jessica Peterson they continue to suffer from the trauma caused by Chasing Horse, 49, and struggle with their faith after he exploited his position as a spiritual leader.

“There is no way to get back the youth, the childhood loss, my first time, my first kiss, the graduation I never got to have,” said Corena Leone-LaCroix, who was 14 when Chasing Horse assaulted her. “The life that little girl could have lived has been taken from me forever.”

The Associated Press typically does not use the name of alleged sexual assault victims unless they come forward publicly, as Leone-LaCroix has.

Chasing Horse, wearing his navy blue Clark County Detention Center uniform, stared straight ahead as victims read their statements and remained quiet as he was escorted out of the courtroom. He’ll be eligible for parole after serving for 37 years, and has continued to deny the charges against him.

“This is a miscarriage of justice,” he told the judge on Monday.

Peterson said she was struck by his continued denial of the charges despite the evidence shown in trial.

“You preyed on these women’s trusts and their spirituality, and you manipulated them for your own personal gratification,” she said before she announced his sentence. When the hearing adjourned, more than a dozen people in the courtroom clapped.

Other charges in Canada are still pending

The sentencing wraps a yearslong effort to prosecute the former actor after he was first arrested and indicted in 2023. That initial arrest reverberated around Indian Country, with law enforcement in other states and Canada following up with more criminal charges. Those charges are still pending.

The British Columbia Prosecution Service said Chasing Horse was charged with sexual assault in February 2023, though the date of the alleged offense took place in September 2018 near Keremeos, a village about four hours east of Vancouver. In November 2023, the case paused due to Chasing Horse’s charges in the United States, but resumed the following year.

After all of Chasing Horse’s appeals have been exhausted, British Columbia prosecutors will assess next steps, Damienne Darby, communications counsel for the British Columbia Prosecution Service, said in an email.

A warrant against Chasing Horse remains outstanding in Alberta, the Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service in Alberta said in a statement following Chasing Horse’s conviction in January. The Tsuut’ina Nation Police Service said that it is in contact with the Alberta Crown Prosecutors Office regarding the warrant.

January trial focused on his role as spiritual leader

Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, which is home to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota nation. Following his appearance as the young Sioux tribe member Smiles a Lot in Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning film “Dances With Wolves,” Chasing Horse traveled across Indian Country to attend powwows and perform healing ceremonies.

During his trial, Nevada prosecutors said Chasing Horse used his reputation as a Lakota medicine man to prey on Indigenous women and girls.

Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci told the jury that for almost 20 years, Chasing Horse “spun a web of abuse” that ensnared many women.

Jurors heard from three women who said Chasing Horse sexually assaulted them. The jury returned guilty verdicts on some charges. He was acquitted on others.

Needing medical help

Multiple victims described how they participated in his ceremonies or went to Chasing Horse for medical help.

Chasing Horse allegedly told Leone-LaCroix when she was 14 that the spirits wanted her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who was diagnosed with cancer. He then sexually assaulted her and told her that if she told anyone, her mother would die, according to Pucci. The sexual assaults continued for years, Pucci said.

Chasing Horse denied the allegations and his attorney questioned the main accuser’s credibility, calling her a “scorned woman.” His attorney had filed a motion for a new trial, arguing that a witness was not qualified to talk about grooming and that the statute of limitations had expired. That motion was denied.

Victims and their family members testified that they struggle with their faith as a result of Chasing Horse’s actions. The mothers of the victims said Chasing Horse betrayed their trust and abused sacred traditions.

“Even to this day I struggle to regain my faith and spirituality,” said Lynnette Adams, the mother of Siera Begaye, one of the other victims.

The AP typically does not use the name of alleged sexual assault victims unless they come forward publicly or approved the use of their names, as Begaye has.

Begaye said she still faces complications after suffering an ectopic pregnancy as a result of the assault and being forced to undergo surgery.

“I am choosing to see this moment as a fresh start,” Begaye said. “I will rebuild my life, reclaim my voice and continue fighting for the future I deserve.”

The shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner has exposed a serious security vulnerability surrounding President Donald Trump and other senior U.S. officials, a former Defense Department intelligence officer has warned.

And with tensions between Washington and Tehran rising and ceasefire talks stalled, Andrew Badger told Fox News Digital the April 25 breach could further increase Iran’s “motivation” to target Trump and others in the administration.

“This could show that there is a vulnerability in terms of potentially accessing President Trump or senior officials,” Badger said before warning of “significant vulnerabilities.”

TRUMP PRAISED FOR ‘STRENGTH’ IN MOMENTS AFTER SHOTS RANG OUT AS EYEWITNESS DESCRIBES ‘TERRIBLE’ SCENE

“When you’re looking at your adversary, and you’re seeing weakness, it also fuels motivation,” he said before claiming that “Iran has the motive to strike at senior Trump officials, including President Trump.”

“Iran, which has a demonstrated history of using criminals and proxy individuals, could certainly look at this as an opportunity.”

Chaos broke out at the Washington Hilton Hotel when a suspected gunman, identified as 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen of Torrance, California, stormed a security checkpoint and opened fire.

Trump and other administration officials were rushed out of the ballroom as law enforcement responded. Allen is currently in custody and made an initial court appearance on Monday.

AMERICANS MUST HAVE ‘HIGHER DEGREE OF VIGILANCE’ AMID IRAN TERROR THREAT, HOUSE INTEL CHAIR WARNS

The gathering included Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, journalists and senior administration officials — a concentration of leadership that Badger said presented significant risk.

“The top three of the line of succession were at this single event,” Badger noted.

He added that “eight of the nine line-of-succession officials were at this single event,” warning of a worst-case scenario: “If this individual would have somehow worn a suicide vest, you could have eliminated all three of those individuals.”

HOSPITALS IN SANCTUARY CITIES COULD BE MOST VULNERABLE TO IRAN TERROR ATTACKS, WARNS EXPERT

“Imagine if there were multiple people. Imagine if he was wearing suicide vests. Imagine if he used some type of drone,” Badger said, emphasizing the scale of potential exposure at a nonsecure venue.

The incident, he said, unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing tensions with Iran, which have escalated amid U.S. and Israeli targeting of Iranian officials and leadership.

Badger pointed to longstanding Iranian hostility tied to the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad International Airport ordered by Trump.

TRUMP FACES UNPRECEDENTED THIRD ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

“There has been a driving animus, a driving motivation in the Iranian regime — which they’ve stated publicly — to get revenge for that killing of Soleimani,” said Badger, who served on the front lines of human intelligence operations, including a 2014 deployment to Afghanistan.

After Soleimani was killed, Ayatollah Khamenei warned that those responsible for the attack would face “severe revenge,” adding that the death would strengthen and intensify resistance against the United States and Israel.

Badger warned that Iran and other adversaries have increasingly relied on unconventional tactics. “Iran and other state actors such as Russia have increasingly reverted to contracting criminals, or gangsters, to conduct hybrid warfare,” he said.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Following the incident, Trump underscored the need for more secure venues, advocating for a dedicated White House ballroom.

“It’s got every single bell and whistle you can possibly have for security and safety… It’s really what you need,” Trump said on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing.”