King Charles gives Trump unexpected gift at White House state dinner

King Charles III's first state visit to the United States since being crowned as Britain's monarch has seen a renewal of the two countries 'special relationship', as well as a few subtle jabs at President Donald Trump.

It began with a public handshake showdown between the King and the POTUS in front of the White House, where Trump's usual strong arming failed to dominate the man who has been shaking dozens of hands every day for over half a century.

But as the day progressed, the warm relationship exhibited by 77-year-old King Charles and President Trump, 79, saw both heads of state share a number of kind statements about their countries' shared culture and history.

This culminated in a truly poignant, if pointed, gift to Trump, who has long enjoyed proximity to the British royals, at the White House state dinner on Tuesday (April 28).

King Charles presented Donald Trump with a gift (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

King Charles presented his acquaintance of 20 years with a giant brass bell with his name on it.

This shiny brass bell may not have the same monetary value as the gifts lavished on Trump by some nations, such as Qatar giving the president his own Boeing 747, but its historic significance and relevance was far greater than that of a plane.

The bell with Trump's name on it actually comes from the tower of a World War Two British submarine called the HMS Trump, which played a significant role for the Royal Navy in securing the world's waterways for the British and American response to the rise of Nazism in Europe.

The HMS Trump played a key role for Britain in World War Two (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

King Charles, who himself served in the Royal Navy half a century ago, informed the president that the submarine had played 'a critical role during the war in the Pacific', referencing how both Germany and Japan were defeated due to the strength of the 'special' transatlantic alliance.

The monarch said that this ship's bell was his 'personal' gift to the president, adding: "May it stand as a testimony to our nation’s shared history and shining future."

But then he cracked an uncharacteristic and subtle joke.

"And should you ever need to get hold of us, just give us a ring," the King said to President Trump, both referencing the past century of unparalleled military cooperation between the two allies, with 12,000 American soldiers based in Britain, as well as thousands of US intelligence agents working at the UK's spy center GCHQ.

This is also a subtle reference to the source of the current anger from President Trump towards Britain's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who joined the rest of the NATO alliance in staying out of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

King Charles received standing ovations from both sides of Congress for his address, which explored the two countries' shared history (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

This led Trump to slam Britain and its Royal Navy, which ruled all the world's oceans when America won its independence through a bloody struggle 250 years ago. The president dismissed their two working aircraft carriers as 'toys' when they refused to immediately deploy them to the Middle East.

Something that may have crossed his mind, as he looked at a giant brass bell with his own name on it from a British ship that defended American interests in the Pacific, a role it continued for decades after the war ended.

And King Charles' surprising humor did not stop there, even referencing some of the transatlantic beef of recent months.

He said: "Indeed, you recently commented, Mr President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German. Dare I say that if it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking French."

The monarch added: "American leadership helped rebuild a shattered continent, playing a decisive role as a defender of freedom in Europe. We and I shall never forget that."

What was on the menu at the White House state dinner?

The First Lady led the preparations for the state dinner (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

According to the White House, the first course consisted of a ‘delicate’ garden Vegetable Velouté, with a ‘refreshing’ hearts of palm salad. The dish was topped off with toasted shallots and a ‘whisper of micro mint for brightness and contrast’.

This was followed by a ‘handcrafted’ spring herb ravioli, which featured herbs from the White House Kitchen Garden, and was ‘generously filled’ with creamy ricotta and dressed ‘in a light parmesan emulsion’.

When it came to the third course, guests were served a classic Dover sole meunière, which had been ‘bathed in a nutty brown butter’. It was ‘accompanied by tender spring ramps, sweet snow peas, layered potatoes pavé, and a vibrant parsley oil for a refined, seasonal finish’.

For dessert, they had a beehive-shaped chocolate gâteau with a vanilla bean crémeux custard, crème fraîche ice cream and White House honey.

A selection of wines was also presented to ‘complement the menu while honoring the shared heritage and enduring friendship between the United States and the United Kingdom’.