There is little doubt that Donald Trump was more enthused about the day he spent at Windsor Castle than his talks with Sir Keir Starmer at Chequers.
And that is no slight on the UK prime minister's hospitality during this state visit, which Trump and his team have been eager to praise.
Starmer's country residence is undoubtedly an impressive meeting place, and there was even an aerial display by the British Army's Red Devils who flew enormous British and American flags to welcome the US leader to the Buckinghamshire countryside.
But as much as Trump appears to genuinely like Starmer, with their warm relationship on display at a joint news conference on Thursday, the president was totally beguiled by being hosted by the King and Queen on Wednesday.
According to his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, his definitive highlight of the trip was the elaborate evening banquet for 160 guests in Windsor Castle's St George's Hall.
For Trump, who has a deep and longstanding admiration for the Royals, it is hard to compete with being toasted by the King. No matter how many jets are laid on for you in the skies above Chequers.
State visits like these allow presidents and prime ministers to connect with one another on a more personal level and offer a chance for their respective staff to build working relationships. They are also an opportunity to demonstrate the closeness of relations on a big stage.
In this sense, it was smooth sailing for both sides. There was no real awkwardness during the joint news conference, which had the potential to expose areas of disagreements.
The two leaders did discuss Gaza and Ukraine when they spent almost an hour talking alone without any of their staff in the room. While they were very amicable during the news conference, it quickly became clear that neither had changed their positions on the key issues where they disagree.
However, inside Chequers, when asked about how the visit would impact the UK's ability to influence US policy, Wiles gave a frank answer – none at all.
Despite the pomp and pageantry of the visit, it became evident that Starmer had earned the right to respectfully disagree with Trump without incurring a diplomatic penalty. Guy Starmer carefully navigated the relationship, thereby avoiding the trade tariffs that have been imposed on other nations.
While this was never going to descend into the kind of awkward clash we've seen at times in the Oval Office this year, it is notable that a more relaxed Trump approached the concluding news conference in a far less combative way than he often does back in Washington.
Although Starmer may not have won the ability to change the president's mind, he can disagree with him without jeopardising relations. For that reason, a falling out now feels further away than ever before.
