India, May 3 -- You have to admit the one thing the Brits do have is a sense of humour. But perhaps it's not so obvious to those of us who either don't have one or only like to laugh at others and not themselves. On his recent visit to the US, King Charles's speeches sparkled with wit. He chose to gently tease the President. "You recently commented, Mr President, that if it were not for the United States, the European countries would have been speaking German. Dare I say that, if it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking French." He even did this to Congress. Speaking of Washington, he called it "a city that symbolises a period in our shared history or what Charles Dickens might have called a tale of two Georges - first, President George Washington and my five times great-grandfather King George the Third. King George, as you know, never set foot in America and please rest assured I'm not here as part of some cunning rearguard action." He said: "The founding fathers were bold and imaginative rebels with a cause. Two hundred and fifty years ago or, as we say in the United Kingdom, just the other day, they declared independence." Of course, some of his humour was at his family's expense. "So many miracles of the modern world have been and still are invented in America. Indeed, we have followed the voyage of Artemis II - or Artemis the Second, as my family and I might like to call her!" Some of his asides might have made the American President wince. "It's a particular pleasure to be back in this wonderful building at the heart of your democracy," he said. "On this occasion I cannot help noticing the readjustments to the East Wing," alluding to the proposed ballroom. "I am sorry to say that we British made our own small attempt at real-estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814," when they tried to burn the place. At the White House banquet, the king made a delightful reference to the estrangement the two countries are experiencing. Though said in humour his point was a pertinent pinprick. "We have had our moments of difficulty, even in our more recent history. When my mother visited in 1957 not the least of her tasks was to put the special back into our relationship, after a crisis in the Middle East. Nearly 70 years on it's hard to imagine anything like that happening today!" But it is and so a point well made. The king spoke about Winston Churchill. "Indeed, such was the closeness that Sir Winston, whilst staying here in the White House, in those rooms that you showed us upstairs, emerged naked from the bath tub to discover the door opening as President Roosevelt walked in for a chat. With rapier wit the President cast aside any embarrassment by declaring that the Prime Minister has nothing to conceal from the President of the United States." And this was surely the piece de resistance: "Of course, my late mother met no fewer than thirteen serving presidents - thankfully all of them fully clothed." On occasion the king punctured America's vaunted ambition. "Now, I know you have big plans for the moon, Mr President, but I've checked the papers and I rather suspect it's already part of the Commonwealth." And then there was this: "In just a few weeks, the United States and Canada will welcome the world as hosts of the FIFA World Cup. So, in one sense, Mr President, we are joint hosts!" He added sotto voce "we call this game football." I chortled at the way he ended his banquet speech. "Thank you, Mr President and Mrs Trump, for your splendid dinner this evening which, may I say, is a very considerable improvement on the Boston Tea Party! So, whether your cup contains tea, wine, Scotch whisky, bourbon or even cola, let us raise our glasses and voices as we toast the past, the present and the future of our two proud and allied nations." The American media called it a "masterclass" in diplomacy. I wouldn't disagree....