Paul Johnston

So I think...

The difficulty between the two governments on a whole range of issues is obvious.

I think what will be very fascinating to see is what the King says in his two sort of public speaking appearances, if you like.

He'll say some words at the state banquet at the White House tomorrow night, and he will give a rare—I think it's only the second time a British monarch has done this—

addressed to both houses of Congress also tomorrow.

Now, that speech will have been drafted for him by the government when there was the prospect of a possible visit to Ireland a few years back.

I was drafting first thoughts with what he might say if he were to address the joint houses of the Oireachtas.

But every word of what he finally says will have been approved by him personally.

He would put a lot of work into it himself.

But he'll be really walking an extremely...

narrow diplomatic wire, if you like, in that address to Congress, which of course is highly divided on partisan lines and everything he says about any issue will be poured over for any perceived criticism of the US.

And I don't think there'll be any criticism of the US.

I think it will be a lot about the shared history, perhaps some self-deprecating remarks about American independence from Britain and something about the ties between the people and the great themes that unite us.

But the royal family are very good at using symbolism and using moments to express their views.

So after the threats to annex Canada, I think it was not accidental that the king appeared in the uniform of the Canadian Navy, visiting a Canadian warship in London.

He received a relatively junior member of the Canadian government in audience, I think at Sandringham.

So he went out of his way to sort of stress that he was king of Canada and that Canada's sovereignty was...

It was an issue that mattered to Britain as well.

I think because he's a constitutional monarch, he can't really express opinions on issues of government policy.

And he gave an interview a few years before he ascended to the throne in which he said he acknowledged that having been, in a way, relatively outspoken on issues like climate and social issues as Prince of Wales, he wouldn't be able to do that in the same way once he was king, once he was head of state.