King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at the White House on Monday for a state visit, greeted by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. The four exchanged pleasantries and posed for photographs before heading inside for a private tea, followed by a tour of the newly expanded White House beehive on the south lawn.
The royal couple later attended a garden party at the British embassy in Washington, where they mingled with Trump administration officials and guests including House Speaker Mike Johnson, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Republican senators Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham. The event featured Scottish smoked salmon and roasted British beef sandwiches, with the king moving slowly through the expansive gardens amid an eager crowd.
The four-day visit, marking the 250th anniversary of US independence, takes place against a backdrop of diplomatic tensions over Trump's war in Iran and a security scare at Saturday's White House Correspondents' Association dinner, where a gunman opened fire at the Washington Hilton. Buckingham Palace confirmed the visit would proceed after consultations with US authorities, with a spokesperson saying the King and Queen were grateful to those who ensured it remained the case.
On Tuesday, Charles will address a packed state dinner at the White House and give a rare speech to the US Congress. He is expected to acknowledge the nations' shared democratic and legal traditions, while making brief reference to the weekend shooting and offering the friendship of the British people on the 250th anniversary of American independence. This is only the second time a British monarch has addressed a joint meeting of Congress, following Queen Elizabeth II in 1991.
The king will later travel to New York to visit the September 11 memorial with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, before concluding in Virginia to meet conservation groups. The visit comes amid strained relations between the allies, with Trump publicly criticising Britain's refusal to back military action against Iran and describing Prime Minister Keir Starmer as 'no Winston Churchill'. However, Trump has carefully separated his admiration for Charles, calling him 'a great man' and 'a friend', from his frustrations with the UK government.
