King Charles III and Queen Camilla are on the third day of their historic state visit to the United States, which many hope will strengthen the “special relationship” between the two nations. The royals arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Monday afternoon, marking the King’s first state visit to the US as monarch.
On Tuesday, Charles addressed Congress, emphasising that despite occasional disagreements, the UK and US have always found a way to unite. “With the spirit of 1776 in our minds, we can perhaps agree that we do not always agree – at least in the first instance,” he said, adding that when they do agree, “what great change is brought about”.
The visit comes amid tensions after President Donald Trump criticised Britain’s approach to the Iran war and Sir Keir Starmer. A shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner days earlier raised security concerns, but Buckingham Palace confirmed the visit would proceed as planned, with the King and Queen grateful for the swift security arrangements.
On Wednesday, Charles and Camilla travel to New York. They will visit the 9/11 memorial around 1pm local time, meeting first responders and families of victims ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks. Later, the Queen will donate a specially made Winnie-the-Pooh character Roo toy to the New York Public Library, completing a set of original toys. Meanwhile, the King will attend a community engagement in Harlem and a UK-US trade event.
The royals will reunite for a cultural reception in the evening. On Thursday, they bid farewell to President Trump and the First Lady before heading to Virginia for community activities, including a celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence and meetings with indigenous communities on climate projects. Charles will later visit Bermuda.
