No bowing, personal gifts and a garlic ban - King Charles' US trip's 'most extensive' briefing notes

King Charles and Queen Camilla's upcoming trip to the United States is being described as one of the most important state visits in history after President Donald Trump "shattered" t he once-special relationship between the two countries. Ahead of the four-day trip, a new documentary explores why the King's meetings with President Trump are so crucial, and reflects on some of the most famous encounters between the two nations in the past - including the night Princess Diana famously danced with John Travolta in the White House. “The relationship between Britain and the United States is at a historic low, because it’s quite clear that that special relationship has been shattered by Donald Trump’s insults to this country, its armed forces , and indeed, its government,” says political commentator Iain Dale, in an exclusive preview shared with the Mirror . The monarch and Queen Camilla are due to land in the States on Monday 27 April, amid ongoing and growing tensions over the war in Iran, and their schedule includes a private tea with President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump . Tensions have been particularly high between Trump and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer , with the president calling the UK’s approach to the Iran war “terrible” and labelling the PM as “no Winston Churchill”. Iain continues: "The monarchy is part of what is known as Britain's soft power, how we influence world leaders, other countries through the monarchy. And this visit is absolutely key to using that soft power." The King will be well prepared though, he adds, because the briefing notes and pre-visit meetings will likely be “more extensive than for any other state visit he’ll ever undertake”. Capricia Marshall, the former Chief of Protocol of the US from 2009 to 2013, also reveals in The Palace and the Presidents that former President Barack Obama wanted to know “every detail of every moment” ahead of his and Michelle Obama’s official meetings with Queen Elizabeth II. There was a lengthy discussion about “bowing and curtseying” because “Presidents of the United States do not bow to any other leader”, and the two sides coordinated beforehand to avoid anyone breaking formal guidelines or a "clash of colour or designs" in their wardrobes. Her team were issued guidelines governing the more formal occasions, which sometimes included not wearing the colour white, or “wearing all black is less preferred because it’s considered a colour of mourning”. Gift exchanging is another top priority for White House and Palace staff, she says, recalling an ill-judged present given to the late Queen by President Obama at Buckingham Palace in 2009 - an iPod. While the President wanted to give a “forward-thinking gift”, she adds, it was largely derided by royal watchers. Two years later, she and her team “went into deep, deep research, worked around the clock” to avoid making a similar mistake, and came up with a leather-bound album of memories of the Queen’s dad, King George VI. “She opens up the album and starts paging through it and she’s sort of getting lower and she’s looking a little closer,” Capricia says. “She looks up at the President with just the most sweetest, the most cherished smile and she says so deeply and profoundly, ‘Thank you, Thank you Mr President.” The same level of detail is applied when a monarch visits the US, with plans no doubt already finalised for King Charles ’s arrival this week. Chris Emery, a former White House Usher during the Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton administrations, tells the documentary the atmosphere ahead of and during royal visits is “unlike anything else", especially during key moments such as state banquets. “The President will have a particular butler right behind them, it’s a circus, but it’s almost like a ballet because everybody seems to be in the right place and move. It’s amazing to watch.” Former royal head chef Visen Anenden says each state banquet on UK soil requires two menus, "and it goes to the King, and they will go through it" and "take complete pride" in finalising the options. "You talk to their counterparts as well, to make sure you've got all the dietary requirements in place, because you do not want to cause any form of embarrassment there. This is full culinary diplomacy in action." He also reveals that garlic and onions were “totally banned” because the royals “don’t want to have the actual odour and the scent it gives off” Former White House usher Chris recalls witnessing Princess Diana and King Charles (then Prince Charles) during their first joint visit to the White House in 1995, where they were the VIP guests at a star-studded dinner. While Ronald Regan later said the formal event “had not a hint of ‘State Dinner’ flavour”, Charles and Diana were joined by American celebrity icons including Tom Selleck , Neil Diamond and Clint Eastwood. The after-dinner dance led to one of the most iconic of the late Princess of Wales ever captured - a photograph of her dancing with John Travolta to the soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever. But Gahl Hodges Burt, former White House Social Secretary, reveals the moment almost very nearly didn’t happen because the First Lady did not think the Grease actor was the right fit for Diana’s dance partner. “Mr Raegan said to me, you know, we have to have someone to dance with Diana, Diana liked to disco dance. So, the only person I could think of was John Travolta. Mrs Raegan said ‘no’, she said ‘no, you need to find someone more current. I came back to her the next and day and I said, I cannot think of anyone else, and she said, ‘okay, okay, okay, we’ll have Travolta.” The documentary, which airs on Saturday, 25 April, also includes tales from 97-year-old Selwa ‘Lucky’ Roosevelt, who recalls the historic visit of King George VI to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The trip in June 1939 marked the first time a British monarch had ever step foot on British soil, laying the first foundations of the two country’s “special relationship” Queen Elizabeth II made her first State Visit to the US in 1957, four years after her Coronation, and Lucky worked as Chief of Protocol during her visit to President Ronald Raegan, with whom the late Queen was famously friendly with. “I was around her a lot, and I could watch her and observe her and every time she smiled, it was terrific.” Watch The Palace and the Presidents on 5 on Saturday 25 April at 8.50pm