King Charles arrived in Bermuda on Friday, just hours after concluding a whirlwind four-day state visit to the United States. The monarch touched down at L.F. Wade International Airport aboard the UK government's VIP Airbus A321neo, with both the Royal Standard and the Bermuda flag fluttering proudly from the cockpit window.
Stepping out of the aircraft, Charles was greeted by Bermuda's Governor, Andrew Murdoch, with the pair exchanging lighthearted words. At one point, the King gestured towards his watch, a likely nod to his packed schedule, which had seen him travel from Washington DC to Virginia and back before making the transatlantic journey to the Caribbean island.
Charles then moved along the line to greet Premier David Burt, his wife Kristin, and other dignitaries and their spouses who had gathered to welcome him. A royal salute was performed by the Royal Bermuda Regiment (RBR), who formed a guard of honour along a red carpet. Dressed in white tunics, navy trousers with red stripes, and navy and red hats, the soldiers stood in immaculate formation. The regiment, which counts the Duchess of Gloucester as its Colonel-in-Chief, marked its 60th anniversary last October.
The arrival itself was a relatively low-key affair, as a full ceremonial welcome, including a guard of honour mounted by the RBR and a 21-gun salute, is set to take place at King's Square on Saturday morning. The King departed in a BMW, part of a noticeably more modest convoy than the one that accompanied him during his US visit. The motorcade consisted of 10 cars, eight police motorbikes, and just a single police car.
Charles made the trip to Bermuda alone after the Queen returned to the UK following her final engagement in Virginia on Thursday afternoon. The visit is expected to include a series of highlights, including engagements with young people and conservation leaders, a celebration of Bermuda's heritage and arts, and the opening of the new Great Bay Coast Guard Station.
This came after an incredibly successful four-day state visit to the US, where President Trump hailed Charles as 'the greatest King'. Royal aides were said to be grinning like Cheshire Cats at the perceived 'triumph' of the visit. Especially after little more than an hour after Their Majesties left the White House, The President posted a remarkable message on his Truth Social media site, revealing he was removing whisky tariffs in their 'honour'. He said that while 'people have wanted to do this for a long time', the King and Queen 'got me to do something that nobody else was able to do'. The Scottish and UK governments had been lobbying the Republican to end tariffs on the industry, as the US is the single biggest market for Scotland's whisky.
One royal insider told the Daily Mail: 'Both the President and First Lady couldn't have been more lovely and hospitable. Really they were. It's been a wonderful visit.'
King Charles paid a touching tribute on Thursday in his final engagement — a visit to Arlington Cemetery in Virginia, one of the United States' most significant sites of military remembrance. The monarch, 77, and Queen Camilla were greeted with a 21-gun salute as the royal couple arrived, followed by performances of God Save the King and Star-Spangled Banner. They also laid a wreath and a posy at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to commemorate the nation's war dead and honour the UK-US military partnership.
Since 1921, it has provided a final resting place for an unidentified American service member from the First World War, with 'Unknowns' from later conflicts interred in 1958 and 1984. Thirty-two British servicemen are also buried at the cemetery. While diplomats are under no illusion of the fluid nature of the US leader's affections — British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is most definitely on the 'naughty step' — it is clear that the King has lived up to hopes he will prove to be a 'Trump whisperer'. The warmth between the two men has been visible, with President Trump praising Charles as a great ambassador for his country.
Soldiers from nearby Fort Myer were first assigned to guard the Tomb during daylight hours in 1926, and, since 1937, the Tomb has been guarded 24 hours a day. Inside Arlington's Display Room, the King and Queen were given a short tour of the exhibition by the Executive Director Karen Durham-Aguilera and senior historian Dr Allison Finkelstein. Before leaving, they also viewed the Canadian Cross of Sacrifice, dedicated to those US citizens who volunteered for the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) and lost their lives in the First World War. More than 40,000 residents of the United States enlisted in the CEF prior to US entry into the war in April 1917. At the Cross, Their Majesties met two groups of serving military personnel from the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, before departing with another 21-gun salute.
On Thursday afternoon, they visited a noisy and quintessentially American 'Block Party' in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. The couple visited the classic American 'smalltown' of Front Royal, 76 miles from Washington. While there are several theories about the origins of the town's name, the most widely accepted is that it was named after a giant oak tree — the 'royal' tree of England — that stood in the public square during colonial times. The local militia were drilled there, with soldiers often given the command 'front the Royal Oak!' and this got shortened over the years to 'Front Royal'. It's certainly better than its previous nickname of 'Helltown' in the late 18th century, due to the rowdy nature of the boatmen, livestock wranglers and traders who passed through, drinking and brawling. Fortunately, it's now a picturesque town of 15,000 inhabitants on the banks of the Shenandoah River, with a quintessential American Main Street bedecked in flags.
The streets were heaving with thousands of well-wishers, some who had been queuing for eight hours to catch a glimpse of the royal visitors. Unlike royal engagements back at home, however, these ones went through metal and gun detectors. A huge cheer went up from the crowds as the royal party arrived. The Queen wore the same outfit but had done a 'switcheroo' with her brooch for a Cartier number showing the UK and US flags. The event couldn't have been more American: including a parade down Main Street and its bedecked bandstand, featuring cheerleaders, school marching bands, fire trucks, the 'Little League' state champion baseball team — and even some British and US classic cars.
Some spoke to local television station ABC13. Mark Anderson said: 'We came out early just to be part of the event, just to be part of the experience here. We never dreamed of the King, Queen, or even come, you know, even Virginia, just much less Front Royal. So we just had to be a part of it.' Kaden Anderson added: 'I mean, I'm excited. It's just like, because, like, this is a small place, like, you know, there's not much, like, big things happening here. So our King and Queen of England come here, out of all places, it's very nice, and I'm very excited to see it.' Residents say they hope the visit will help with visitor numbers to the region, seen as a gateway to the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains. Brenda Taylor commented: 'I'm proud that they chose this place to come and visit. You know, we're kind of like tucked away, and to have something of such prestige come and visit. And a lot of us have, you know, after the ancestry thing that we've all done, might have a little touch of British in us.'
The royal couple were also enchanted by a pair of newborn lambs named Charles and Camilla in their honour. The monarch held onto 'Charles's' leg. The Queen later met the lamb too, stroking his head and rubbing his neck, declaring him to be 'very aptly named' and telling him: 'You're very sweet'. The rare Kerry Hill breed animals are being raised by Tracey Bloom, from Upperville, a 30-minute drive from Front Royal. There are only 25 Kerry Hill Sheep in the United States, and she is hoping to grow the flock, working with breeders in Powys, mid Wales. The King is patron of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and told Tracy: 'You're very kind to bring them here.'
