The king came to town for tea, dinner and a little chat with Congress and the president. By the time you read this, Charles III's state visit may be a little piece of history.

The "special relationship" between the United States and the United Kingdom could undergo a stress test.

For one thing, Charles is probably horrified and mystified at the shooting at the White House Correspondents' dinner but probably too polite to say so. The British disapprove of making scenes in public, with gunfire interrupting dinner parties.

Charles did refer to "the incident not far from this great building" in his Capitol address to a full chamber.

The king rode in on American waves of Anglophile applause but also against the currents of our own head of state. President Donald J. Trump takes trouble with him wherever he goes.

Trump has flung slings and arrows across the Atlantic Ocean at Great Britain's prime minister, Keir Starmer, lately. He's called the leader a coward for not joining the not-so-splendid little war Trump started in Iran.

Trump has insulted so many of our allies that none wish to join him in an unwinnable war he started without consulting any of them.

But Charles is the one that will have to face and finesse the Trumpian temper face-to-face. Well-mannered English gentleman that he is, can he expect the same conduct from Trump?

Our rough-hewn, coarse president is not one to edit his tongue to meet standards of diplomacy and etiquette. He claims to find the king a great guy, but will he restrain himself for once?

As an American who lived in London for a few years, I learned there are several unwritten rules of social interaction there.

First, pleasantries are important. That means avoiding unpleasantries as much as possible. Charles, in a speech that blended style and substance, expressed "the highest regard and friendship of the British people."

Looking back at the 1776 American Revolution and forward to our "semi-quincentennial," Charles declared, "We can perhaps agree that we do not always agree."

That was as close as he came to the delicate difference dividing the president and prime minister.

By Jove, he added, 250 years ago was "just the other day." Nice touch.

Second, words are well chosen, clever and at least above average, showing that you care about the English language. The King cut back to the 1215 Magna Carta's common law and then to the present "living mosaic" of American democracy.

Third, the British are the best friends you can make and keep, if you try. Charles made a most gracious guest in our house, and he made the point that our partnership in a volatile world may be more important than ever.

Fourth, charm and appearances do matter. I've broken that rule once or twice at roast chicken Sunday lunches and garden parties out in the country, and for that I apologize.

Americans can be a bit loud in expressing our opinions for British tastes. We are the mother country's unruly and vexing children who sparked a revolution.

Charles did take a stand for defending Ukraine and for protecting the natural environment. Neither issue is popular with the president or congressional Republicans. You can't go wrong quoting Abraham Lincoln and Charles Dickens, the greatest writers of their age, in this crowd.

Another point about the British character: They are good sports, win or lose, in cricket, tennis or rugby. If only that trait would rub off on Trump, our very own ugly American.

I'll say this: How cheery it was to see both sides of the House happy for a sea change.

Once upon a time a charming Prince Charles and now the present king, his work is cut out for him as he and Queen Camilla reach across the ocean to try to make things right between us — or at least appear to be all right.

The author may be reached at JamieStiehm.com. To find out more about Jamie Stiehm and other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, please visit creators.com.

Photo credit: A Perry at Unsplash