Printed On 27 Apr 2026
Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla have arrived in the USA for a four-day trip, a tour that has taken on even larger prominence after the White Home Correspondents’ Affiliation dinner taking pictures and amid acrimony between the shut allies.
The state go to on Monday afternoon, by far probably the most high-profile and consequential of Charles’s reign, marks the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence from British rule, and is the primary go to to the nation by a British monarch for twenty years.
Advisable Tales
record of three objectsfinish of record
Charles and Camilla touched down at Joint Base Andrews round 2:30pm (18:30 GMT), after they have been greeted by diplomatic, state, and federal officers, in addition to senior members of the British embassy, and accepted flowers from the kids of British navy households stationed within the US.
The king, sporting a navy go well with, and the queen, carrying a pink costume, stood on the tarmac whereas a navy band performed the British and US nationwide anthems, earlier than they headed to the White Home for a non-public assembly with self-proclaimed royal fan President Donald Trump.
The week’s schedule additionally contains an tackle to the US Congress, a lavish state dinner on the White Home, and a cease in New York Metropolis.
Press dinner taking pictures simply days earlier than go to
The long-planned go to has grow to be enmeshed in a political spat between the 2 international locations over the US-Israel struggle on Iran, which led Trump to voice deep displeasure with the British authorities for failing to help the offensive.
The taking pictures on Saturday on the White Home Correspondents’ Affiliation dinner in Washington, the place US officers have mentioned the president and members of his administration have been the possible targets, has forged an additional pall over the go to.
Buckingham Palace mentioned on Sunday that the king “is drastically relieved to listen to that the president, first girl and all friends have been unhurt”. After a safety evaluate, the palace mentioned the journey “will proceed as deliberate”.
Trump has criticised the UK over Iran stance
On arriving in Washington, the king and queen are scheduled to have a non-public tea with the president, an unabashed lover of the British royal household who often describes Charles as a “nice man”, and his spouse, First Woman Melania Trump.
The 77-year-old king, who remains to be present process most cancers therapy that started in February 2024, will tackle Congress the following day – simply the second time a British monarch has completed so.
The royals will then head on to New York Metropolis, the place they may commemorate these killed within the September 11, 2001, assaults forward of the twenty fifth anniversary, whereas the queen will even mark the centenary of kids’s tales that includes Winnie-the-Pooh.
The US journey concludes in Virginia with the king assembly these concerned in conservation work, a nod to his half-century of environmental campaigning.
The federal government of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is hoping the go to will shore up the way forward for the 2 allies’ “particular relationship”, which is now at its lowest level for the reason that Suez Disaster in 1956.
Britain’s ambassador to the US, Christian Turner, mentioned the go to would underscore the shared historical past, sacrifice and customary values between the 2 international locations, including that the method can be a really British one: “Hold calm, stick with it.”
Whereas Trump has eased his criticism of Britain in latest days over its response to the Iran struggle, an inside Pentagon electronic mail set out how the US may evaluate its place on Britain’s declare to the Falkland Islands as punishment for its lack of help, additional straining ties.
“President Trump has all the time had nice respect for King Charles, and their relationship was additional strengthened by the president’s historic go to to the UK final 12 months,” White Home spokesperson Anna Kelly informed The Related Press. “The president appears to be like ahead to a particular go to … which is able to embody a phenomenal state dinner and a number of occasions all through the week.”
Trump, in the meantime, informed the BBC that the king’s go to may “completely” assist restore the transatlantic relationship.
One challenge off the desk in the course of the go to is the scandal over convicted US intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein. Royal sources have mentioned it was not potential for the king and queen to satisfy any victims of Epstein in the course of the tour, as some have requested, to keep away from impacting any potential legal circumstances.
Charles’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, whose popularity and royal standing have been destroyed over his hyperlinks to the late Epstein, is at the moment dealing with police inquiries over his connections. The previous Prince Andrew has denied any wrongdoing.
