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"The royal train, of course, has been part of national life for many decades, loved and cared for by all those involved," said Mr Chalmers.

James Chalmers, the Keeper of the Privy Purse, responsible for the royal finances, said the decision to stop the royal train would mean "the fondest of farewells", but "in moving forwards we must not be bound by the past".

But Europe's dependency on the US goes deeper, says Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director-general of the Royal United Services Institute.

These are exactly the capabilities that are scarce and needed by the US military in Asia, says Mr Chalmers.

With its Strategic Defence Review, the UK recently stressed to the public the need for more military spending, but Mr Chalmers says neither Downing Street nor most other European governments have fully prepared their electorates for the trade-offs that huge new defence investments will require.