King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive in New York City for 9/11 memorial visit on third day of US state trip

King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited New York City April 29, beginning the third day of their U.S. state visit with a stop at the National September 11 Memorial, where they laid wreaths and met with victims’ families and first responders.

The royal couple arrived at the memorial by motorcade and were greeted by local and state officials. They began their schedule with a wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial pools, honoring the nearly 3,000 people killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks, including 67 British citizens, according to The New York Times. 

Following the ceremony, the king and queen greeted a line of attendees, including first responders and families of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill — each from the Democratic Party — were among those present.

Later in the day, King Charles visited a nonprofit urban farming project in Harlem that mentors children and young people affected by food insecurity. 

Meanwhile, Queen Camilla made a separate appearance at the New York Public Library, where she promoted her literary charity, the Queen’s Reading Room. According to AP News, she presented the library with a specially made Roo doll to add to its collection of Winnie-the-Pooh characters.

The New York leg follows two days of events in Washington, D.C., where King Charles addressed a joint session of Congress and attended a state dinner hosted by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. 

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During the state dinner, King Charles gave a toast, describing the relationship between the U.S. and the UK as “an indispensable alliance which has long been a cornerstone of prosperity and security for both British and American citizens.” He highlighted the journey “from adversaries to the closest of allies,” adding that “ours is an unbreakable bond of history and heritage, culture and commerce, industry and invention.” 

King Charles also referenced the U.S. and the UK’s partnership in NATO, which he said aims to “deepen our technological and military cooperation and ensure that, together, we can meet the challenges of an increasingly complex and contested world.”

The King closed by raising a glass “to the past, the present and the future of our two proud and allied nations,” declaring: “To the United States, and the United Kingdom. God bless both our countries.”

The visit comes amid ongoing tensions related to the Iran war but aims to highlight enduring ties between the two nations. As Zeale News previously reported, Trump has recently criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his refusal to support U.S. military operations in Iran and has also raised the possibility of reconsidering U.S. involvement in NATO. 

The royal couple is also scheduled to travel to Virginia for an event celebrating America’s 250th anniversary before the trip concludes on April 30.