The year 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. But the celebration has been commandeered. Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, has turned the semiquincentennial into a stage for his political theatre, using the occasion to amplify his campaign messaging.
The White House has announced a year-long programme of events, but critics argue it is a partisan exercise. The United Kingdom, by contrast, has been slow to define its own relationship with this anniversary. The absence of a coordinated British cultural and diplomatic strategy is a missed opportunity to advance a more complex, shared history.
It is time for the UK to assert its own narrative: one that acknowledges the rupture of 1776 but also emphasises the enduring ties of language, law, and alliance. This is not about rivalry. It is about ensuring that the semiquincentennial does not become a one-sided story of American exceptionalism.
The Foreign Office should lead a programme of exhibitions, academic exchanges, and public diplomacy. The Royal Family, the BBC, and leading cultural institutions must play their part. Without this, the UK risks being a passive spectator as its own history is rewritten for a domestic US audience.
