In September, it was all smiles as the King carried out his duties, welcoming Donald Trump for his lavish state visit to Britain.
But have the US president’s comments on the service of NATO forces in Afghanistan made any further meet-ups more difficult or even impossible?
Yes, Trump’s posturing over Greenland has led some to demand that any future trips by the King to America should be called off.
But some would argue the president’s suggestion that UK troops were not on the frontline in Afghanistan is actually worse, especially for the Royal Family.
In 2010, the King, as Prince of Wales, made a surprise visit to see soldiers in Helmand province.
Given his own personal experience of seeing their resilience, we can only assume it will make Trump’s comments at the least unpalatable, at the worst offensive. There is no word from the palace as to what the King thinks.
‘The relentless courage of our armed forces’
But as the most senior royal to go to Afghanistan, you could tell that what he witnessed had a lasting impact on him, especially from a speech he gave at a military awards ceremony in 2012.
He said: “The unending, relentless courage of our armed forces is on display day after day in Afghanistan, and they have, I think, the most extraordinary resilience, patience, determination, despite the horrors of being turned upon from time to time by the people they’re training and mentoring, and the fact that they continue and go on, despite these setbacks and these tragedies to their own mates.”
The contrast to Trump’s dismissive comments could not be more apparent.
As King, he is now head of the armed forces, and staunch defender and supporter of our service men and women, but this is not just a ceremonial role for him.
It is deeply personal, no doubt fostered by his own time in the military and the service of other family members, including of course Prince Harry in Afghanistan.
Now outside of the institution, Harry has been able to make his anger about Trump’s comments known, in a way that the King diplomatically simply couldn’t.
Will King’s visit to US go ahead?
So what about any future contact with the US president?
You don’t need to spell out how much time with the Royal Family means to Mr Trump. In what seems to be a rarity, they appear to be some of the only people the president hasn’t criticised publicly.
And it has been widely reported, although not confirmed, that the King and Queen will visit America later this year, possibly as soon as April. The purpose is to celebrate the 250th anniversary of US independence, and the supposedly special relationship.
But the big question is whether we should again give Trump the honour of spending more time with the King?
Diplomatic sources will always say the role of the royals is to maintain those foundations of friendship with other countries, to help us navigate more difficult times.
This is no doubt one of those moments. And ultimately it will be No 10 and the Foreign Office that will decide if this royal deployment is still appropriate.
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Trump claims NATO allies avoided Afghanistan frontline
When you look back to September’s state visit there is an irony that the long-standing military connections between our two countries was one of the standout themes.
Who can forget the supercharged military ceremonial displays laid on for the president, including the involvement of US soldiers and musicians for the first time?
So in some ways who could be better than the King to maybe again deliver a quiet reminder of that sense of service we have shared on numerous frontlines?
Coming from a head of state but also a father who saw for himself the bravery of those serving in Afghanistan, as his son witnessed in the most brutal ways the sacrifices that should never be forgotten.
