The offer is being seen as a way to bolster the U.S. and United Kingdom's so-called "special relationship", despite America having famously split from British rule in the 1700s.

The British soccer legend survived a 1958 plane crash that decimated a Manchester United team destined for greatness, then later became the heartbeat of his country’s 1966 World Cup triumph.

Britain runs either an $89 billion trade surplus or a $14.5 billion deficit with the United States, depending on whether one cites British or American statistics. The difference rests in part on ...