The jokes landed, the warm words resonated, the pageantry looked good on the evening news.
But as the applause fades and the plates are cleared from the White House banquet, what from the King's historic visit to the United States will sustain? How much of the pomp will translate into politics?
Before King Charles arrived in the US, British diplomats were pragmatic about how much the state visit could achieve. They knew it could not reset the UK-US relationship entirely. The differences over Iran, Nato, Ukraine, trade and President Donald Trump's rhetorical barbs against Sir Keir Starmer were too deep to be overcome by one royal tour.
Diplomats hoped instead the visit could at the very least change the tone and lower the temperature between London and Washington.
Sir David Manning, a former UK ambassador to the US, told the BBC before the trip the King was "a stabiliser, a shock absorber" who could "provide a better climate for re-engaging with the Trump administration over some of the very difficult bilateral issues".
