The United States declared independence from the British crown 250 years ago – but this week, it could not get enough of it.

From the minute King Charles and Queen Camilla stepped onto the White House South Lawn, US networks dumped their standard diet of political warfare and breaking news for something rare: pure pageantry.

In a country that seems to agree on almost nothing, the British royals managed something close to a clean sweep – drawing warm receptions from both sides of a political spectrum where neutral ground is rare.

The visit came at a fraught time in US-British relations, with the White House and Downing Street at odds over the war in Iran, straining a relationship both governments insist remains unshakeable.

The reviews following the King’s appearances at the White House, in Congress and in New York were warm across the political divide.

A commentator in the conservative Washington Examiner wrote that the UK needed more than conventional diplomacy – and that King Charles delivered.

“His Majesty’s Government under scandal-plagued Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer needed the monarchy to do what only the king could do,” the editorial said.

The King’s comments in Congress and at the White House’s lavish banquet on Tuesday – mixing humour with history and a call for unity – also were widely praised.

Some saw them as a subtle rebuke of President Trump.

“Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to see what’s really going on,” an opinion writer wrote in the Arizona Republic. “It’s striking to have a king remind us of what democracy is all about.”

For months, Donald Trump – a committed Anglophile and avid fan of the Royals – repeatedly told reporters that he was excited for the King’s visit. That excitement was on full display throughout the King’s visit to Washington, in which the world saw a warmer version of a president not shy to make his feelings known.

Uncharacteristically, Trump largely stuck to a script, making no mention of policy disagreements with Downing Street and lauding the long ties between the US and Britain.

“Before we ever proclaimed our independence, Americans carried within us the rare gifts of moral courage,” he said. “And it came from a small but mighty kingdom from across the sea.”

On Capitol Hill, where the King became only the second British monarch to address a joint session of Congress, Charles received a standing ovation – though some in the room heard something more pointed in his words.

“As opposed to Keir Starmer, who is looked at…as a leftist weenie, we saw in King Charles – someone who is proud of Britain,” Washington Republican Representative Michael Baumgartner told the BBC. “I think that was good.”

The warm welcome on Capitol Hill was not lost on President Trump.

A plane has crashed on the outskirts of South Sudan’s capital, Juba, killing all 13 passengers and the pilot.

The country’s civil aviation authority said on Monday that initial reports indicate the aircraft may have crashed due to bad weather conditions that caused low visibility.

The Cessna 208 Caravan, which was operated by CityLink Aviation, ‌lost communication while flying from Yei to Juba International Airport, it added in a statement.

Among those onboard were two Kenyan nationals, while the rest were South Sudanese.

A team has been sent to the site to gather information and support emergency services, the aviation authority said.

Videos of the crash site, located some 20km (12 miles) outside of Juba, showed the remains of the aircraft in flames.

Gunmen have raided an orphanage and kidnapped at least 23 children, authorities in Nigeria report.

The gang took the children late on Sunday from an unregistered facility called the Dahallukitab Group of Schools, located in an “isolated area” in Kogi State’s capital, Lokoja, Kogi Information Commissioner Kingsley Fanwo said in a statement on Monday.

Mass kidnappings have become a common way for gangs and armed groups to make quick money in Africa’s most populous country, especially in rural areas with little government presence.

Fanwo said the “prompt and coordinated response” of security agencies led to the rescue of 15 children but eight are still missing.

The wife of the proprietor of the orphanage was also abducted, according to the statement.

“Intensive operations are ongoing to secure the safe return of the remaining eight victims and apprehend the perpetrators,” the official said.

[Aljazeera]