King Charles could play a unique role as a potential mediator during his four-day state visit to America this week.
King Charles and Queen Camilla’s official visit will begin Monday with tea in the Oval Office, followed by a state dinner hosted by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. After shots were fired during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, Buckingham Palace has said security will be increased during the royal state visit.
“Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day, and acting on advice of Government, we can confirm the state visit by their majesties will proceed as planned,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement released Sunday. “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 under way tomorrow.”
Earlier on Sunday, the Palace said Charles was being “kept fully informed of developments” and was “greatly relieved to hear that the president, first lady and all guests have been unharmed.”
Palace sources have said King Charles is “ready” for the trip and looking forward to the opportunity to meet President Trump and the First Lady again. King Charles and Queen Camilla’s itinerary includes visiting Washington, DC, New York, and Virginia over the course of the four-day trip. King Charles will have a private audience with President Trump, attend a state banquet alongside Queen Camilla, and address Congress.
Royal historian Ed Owens told Vanity Fair that the state visit will also be an opportunity for King Charles to show off the unique role he can play as a mediator and statesman, as the “special relationship” between Britain and America which has been tested by President Trump’s war on Iran.
“[King Charles] can’t talk politics explicitly, or take sides, but he can use his role as a statesman to exercise soft power. This trip is a visit with potential pit falls, but Charles is not going to be engaging in the breakdown of the relationship between President Trump and Sir Keir Starmer. He will be talking about the bigger picture and the relationship and history between America and the UK,” Owens said.
President Donald Trump greets Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh on October 13, 2025.
EVAN VUCCI/Getty Images
The trip, to mark 250 years of American independence, is being seen as a pivotal moment for the two countries and a chance to rebuild bridges following a clash of political views between Trump and Starmer over the war in Iran.