Listen to this article
Estimated 4 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in the United States on Monday afternoon for a four-day trip, a tour that has taken on even greater prominence after the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and amid acrimony between the close allies.
The state visit, by far the most high-profile and consequential of Charles’ reign, comes on the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of independence from British rule and is the first visit to the country by a British monarch in two decades.
Charles and Camilla touched down at Joint Base Andrews around 2:30 p.m. ET and then headed to the White House for a private meeting with self-described royal fan U.S. President Donald Trump. The week’s schedule includes an address to Congress, a lavish state dinner at the White House and a stop in New York City.
The long-planned visit has become enmeshed in an apolitical spat between the two countries over the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which led Trump to voice deep displeasure with the British government for failing to support the offensive.
The shooting Saturday at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, where U.S. officials have said the president and members of his administration were the likely targets, has cast a further pall over the visit.
Buckingham Palace said the trip would still go ahead as planned following discussions between British and U.S. authorities to determine if the incident would impact the royals’ plans.
“The king and queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case and are looking forward to the visit getting underway tomorrow,” a palace spokesperson said Sunday.
Admiration for king
On arriving in Washington, the King and Queen were to have a private tea with the president, an unabashed lover of the British royal family who regularly describes Charles as a “great man,” and his wife, first lady Melania Trump.
WATCH | A royal visit in America:
What to expect ahead of King Charles’ state visit with Trump | Hanomansing Tonight
King Charles is set to begin his state visit to the United States and meet with Trump administration officials on Monday. Carolyn Harris, Royal commentator and historian says U.S. President Donald Trump enjoys the ‘pomp and circumstance’ of royal visits, even amid U.S.-U.K. political tensions.
The 77-year-old king, who is still undergoing treatment for cancer, will address Congress the next day — just the second time a British monarch has done so.
The royals will then head to New York where they will commemorate those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks ahead of the 25th anniversary. The queen will also mark the centenary of children’s stories featuring Winnie-the-Pooh.
The U.S. trip concludes in Virginia, with the king meeting people involved in conservation work, a nod to his half-century of environmental campaigning.
The government of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is hoping the visit will shore up the future of the two allies’ “special relationship,” which is at its lowest point since the Suez Crisis in 1956.
Britain’s ambassador to the U.S., Christian Turner, said the visit would underscore the shared history, sacrifice and common values between the two countries, adding that the approach would be a very British one: “Keep calm, carry on.”
While Trump has eased his criticism of Britain in recent days over its response to the Iran war, an internal Pentagon email laid out how the U.S. could review its position on Britain’s claim to the Falkland Islands as punishment for its lack of support, further straining ties.
One issue off the table during the visit is the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Royal sources said it was not possible for the royal couple to meet any of Epstein’s victims during the tour, as some had requested, in order to avoid affecting any potential criminal cases.
Charles’ brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, whose reputation and royal standing have been destroyed over his links to the late U.S. sex offender, is currently facing police inquiries over those connections. The former Prince Andrew has denied any wrongdoing.