The $30 million visit to Sulgrave Manor

US Ambassador Warren Stephens marked his first anniversary in London with a high-profile visit to Sulgrave Manor , the ancestral home of George Washington, and a series of comments that have sparked discussion about Britain's role in global affairs.

Stephens and his wife Harriet attended a ceremony at Windsor Castle and delivered a speech at a student conference that portrayed the 'Special Relationship' as something fluid and evolving, comparing it to a Hollywood actor whose age is impossible to pin down.

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Stephens urged his British hosts to stop apologising for their imperial past and to recognise the advantages that the former empire's institutions have given to many former colonies .

He echoed former President Donald Trump's recent celebration of the 'great inheritance' the United Kingdom passed to the United States, arguing that the prosperity of many Commonwealth nations today owes a debt to British legal, financial and educational systems.

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Stephens went further, insisting that Britain should make fuller use of its own natural resources, particularly fossil fuels, describing the reluctance to exploit domestic oil and gas reserves as 'the crux of the issue' and a missed economic opportunity.

During his stay, Stephens recounted a recent diplomatic friction when Britain initially refused American use of RAF bases for operations in the Middle East,a decision that, he said, 'upset the President and upset me' because it forced U.S. aircrews to undertake extended refuelling missions, resulting in the loss of a tanker crew in an accident .

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Despite that episode,he assured that the bilateral relationship has moved beyond the dispute and remains 'very, very solid.'

Stephens, a 69-year-old former investment banker who ran the family firm Stephens Inc. in Arkansas, reflected on his first year in the post as a series of 'pinch-yourself' moments.

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He expressed admiration for British political figures he has met, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and promised continuity in U.S. engagement regardless of who holds office.

He also noted the personal dimension of the alliance, citing President Trump's affection for the royal family and the cultural exchange that underpins trade, defense cooperation and people-to-people links.

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While acknowledging that disagreements are inevitable, Stephens concluedd that they are a sign of a healthy relationship, urging both sides to focus on shared military, cultural, commercial and personal ties as the United Kingdom and United States prepare for upcoming milestones such as the United States' 250th anniversary on July 4.