london british prime minister theresa may meet new u.s. president donald trump washington friday seek reinvigorate london view two countries special relationship may first foreign leader visit trump aim forge close tie unite state britain leave european union hop enjoy closeness margaret thatcher ronald reagan 1980s unquestionably relationship assume way importance might even year ago say john bew history foreign policy professor king college london anglo-american relations back town big way history special relationship two countries always define personalities europe security issue always easy unite state declare independence britain 1776 1946 winston churchill coin term special relationship follow world war two establishment nato 1949 help deepen military tie alliance saw challenge early years cold war 1956 suez crisis britain attack egypt without inform unite state u.s. president dwight eisenhower incense pressure prime minister anthony eden seek peaceful solution result eden resignation episode arguably bad crisis u.s.-uk relations 20th century demonstrate british establishment fade imperial power importance collaboration unite state international affairs relationship test 1962 administration u.s. president john kennedy unexpectedly cancel skybolt missile program anger britain set use missiles suez resolution crisis deepen tie countries contribute decision france block britain accession european community early 1960s define image british u.s. relations end cold war prime minister margaret thatcher president ronald reagan grocers daughter hollywood film star strike rapport basis share commitment small government economic liberalism anti-communism even relationship subject strain however thatcher anger u.s. invasion grenada commonwealth nation 1983 2014 record phone call reagan apologize thatcher release wmds special relationship reinforce co-operation prime minister tony blair president george w. bush iraq war follow 9/11 attack unite state blair keen offer support unite state however initial military action depose saddam hussein iraq leader 2003 achieve aim war become draw lack weapons mass destruction provide justification action draw opposition side atlantic describe blair puppet bush blair close friendship bush famously share toothpaste become political issue british leaders tend see good relations president barack obama asset obama popular britain prime minister david cameron keen portray closeness contrast awkward manner predecessor gordon brown cameron high-fived obama play table tennis visit london 2011 cameron eat hotdogs president take university basketball game ohio however obama comment april 2016 britain would back queue trade talk vote leave eu also raise question among britons value relationship tom packer research fellow rothermere american institute oxford university believe pragmatic relationship bush blair may good guide may trump relationship reagan thatcher think like ronald reagan margaret thatcher share ideological vision also important personal tie already packer say could conceivably like bush blair people share common objectives slowly become personally ways ideologically close factbox 70 years 'special relationship unite state britain