King Charles III’s 2026 looks set to be another dominated by a soft power charm offensive on President Donald Trump but there is one major sticking point—the president’s threat to annex Greenland.

Charles is believed to be eyeing up a trip to America, probably in April, to mark the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, though nothing has yet been confirmed.

Prince William may also make a trip over the Atlantic in 2026 for the main celebration in July, which Charles is unlikely to attend as it is a busy time of year in the royal calendar.

A cloud may, though, gather over the plans as Donald Trump is currently in a war of words with another monarchy and the tension has also driven a wedge between Trump and the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

And that is because the president has indicated he wants to annex Greenland, currently a semi-autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark. On Tuesday, a White House spokesperson said: “The ‍president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important ‌foreign policy goal, ⁠and of course, utilizing the ‌U.S. military is ‍always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal.”

Why It Matters

Of course, the main reason this matters has to do with a combination of the will of the people of Greenland, the sovereignty of Denmark, American foreign policy goals and concerns such a move would destroy the NATO alliance, as Denmark is a NATO member.

However, it also matters to the royals because one of the biggest wins of King Charles’ reign so far was the role he appeared to play last year in helping Starmer broker a mega £150 billion tech prosperity deal with America via a charm offensive on Trump.

King Charles’ Friendship With Trump

The president came to Britain in September on the promise of a historic second state visit to Windsor Castle where the king treated him to a carriage procession and state banquet. Trump and Starmer signed on the dotted line the following day.

The British may want to put the royals to work again since America has paused £31 billion of that money citing a lack of progress on trade barriers.

However, a new charm offensive could all look very awkward if Trump were to send the U.S. military into Greenland by force, violating Danish sovereignty and risking wrecking the NATO alliance.

Valentine Low, author of Power and the Palace, told Newsweek Charles would listen if there was a direct appeal to him from King Frederik X of Denmark but if British foreign policy prioritized the economic benefits of the Trump alliance then Charles would be pulled in two directions.

“I think if it got to the stage where the Danish Royal Family were voicing concerns, either publicly or privately, about this I think Charles would take that seriously,” he said.

“And if Keir Starmer still wanted him to go over for the anniversary celebrations Charles would feel torn, but his ultimate responsibility would be to Keir Starmer, to the government, because it is his government. I can’t see it getting to that stage.”

Newsweek contacted the White House out of hours for comment, as well as Buckingham Palace.

Either way, Trump’s love of the monarchy initially gave Charles a major win, demonstrating the importance and impact the royals can deliver to Britain’s national interest even after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Trump showed Britain’s political class that Charles could command the same global respect and affection as his revered mother.

An invasion of Denmark would make the utility of that relationship much more complicated.

Donald Trump’s Threat to Annex Greenland

In early January 2026, President Donald Trump reignited a controversial geopolitical dispute by asserting that the United States should acquire Greenland, the vast Arctic territory that is a semi-autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Speaking to The Atlantic, Trump said: “We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defense.”

And he told NBC News on Monday: “We need Greenland for national security, and that includes Europe. You know I’m very loyal to Europe. We need it for national security, right now.

“I think that Greenland is very important for the national security of the United States, Europe, and other parts of the free world.”

Trump said that he is “very serious” about annexing the territory, and after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro last week, the Danes may not need much convincing of his intent.

The Danish government swiftly condemned the rhetoric. Quoted by Sky News, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said: “It makes absolutely no sense to ⁠talk about the U.S. needing to take over Greenland. The U.S. has no right to annex any of the three countries in ​the Danish Kingdom.”

“I would therefore strongly urge the ‌U.S. to stop the threats against a historically close ally,” she continued, “and against another country and another people, who have very clearly ​said that they are not for sale.”

Crucially for Charles, Starmer backed Denmark. Quoted by Reuters, he said on Monday: “Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark must decide the future of Greenland and nobody else.”

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