Did you know that King Charles almost became Richard Nixon’s son-in-law? Yes, it sounds like an impossible rumor, but the monarch himself mentioned it at the state banquet in honor of Donald Trump and Melania on Wednesday, September 17, amidst jokes and memories.
With a smile, he recalled how the press in the 1970s tried to push him down the aisle… with none other than Tricia, the eldest daughter of the then-U.S. president.
King Charles’s speech at the State Banquet
The king took advantage of his speech at the banquet in honor of Trump to express his affection for the United States, recalling his first trip in 1970.
There, Nixon arranged an official visit with Charles and Princess Anne, hoping that the young prince would not only strengthen the bilateral relationship but also connect with Tricia.
According to documents from the time, Nixon described the then heir as “the real gem” of the royal family. Not a bad introduction, right?
The anecdote was etched in history, and years later, Charles continued to mention it with a playful tone. He even joked at the White House with George W. Bush, warning him not to try the same thing with his daughters and Princes William and Harry.
It’s a curious detail that humanizes the monarch and reminds us that even kings have had their awkward dates.
In the end, Charles took a different path, the one we all know, with Diana and later with Camilla. Tricia, meanwhile, married Edward Cox in the White House garden, and they are still together.
Perhaps there was never any chemistry, but that “non-story” between the two left one of the most striking anecdotes in the long list of moments between politics and royalty.