King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived in the U.S. April 27 to begin a four-day state visit with planned stops in Washington, D.C.; New York; and Virginia.
The king and queen are first scheduled to attend a private tea, hosted by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. The visit marks the first official U.S. trip by a British monarch since 2007 and the first by King Charles since he ascended the throne in 2022, according to AP News.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the trip would proceed as planned, as Politico reported, despite an April 25 shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner that reportedly targeted Trump administration officials.
The visit comes as the U.S. prepares to commemorate its 250th anniversary and is intended to underscore an alliance between the two nations. Still, it unfolds against ongoing tensions related to the Iran war.
In recent weeks, Trump has criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his refusal to support U.S. military operations against Iran, including denying the use of UK bases for strikes, FOX News reported. The President has also accused NATO allies of failing to support the campaign and threatened to reconsider U.S. involvement in the alliance.
Despite those tensions, Trump has insisted that Charles “has nothing to do with” the dispute and repeatedly described the monarch as his “friend” and a “great guy,” AP News reported.
He also suggested in a BBC interview that the king’s visit could help improve relations between the two countries, saying, “Absolutely. He's fantastic. He's a fantastic man. Absolutely the answer is yes.”
The visit will include a garden party and formal state dinner at the White House, as well as a one-on-one meeting with Trump and the king on April 28, according to a schedule released by Axios. Later that day, the king will address a joint meeting of Congress, becoming only the second British monarch to do so, according to AP News. Queen Elizabeth II was the first in 1991.
The royal couple is also scheduled to travel to New York to visit the Sept. 11 memorial and to Virginia for a 250th anniversary event.