Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in the US yesterday for a four-day trip, welcomed by President Donald Trump.
The state visit, by far the most high-profile and consequential of Charles’ reign, marks the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence from British rule, and is the first to the country by a British monarch in two decades.
Charles and Camilla touched down at Joint Base Andrews where they were greeted by diplomatic, state and federal officials as well as senior members of the British embassy and accepted flowers from the children of British military families stationed in the US.
They proceeded to the White House, where they were greeted by Trump and first lady Melania Trump. The four stood briefly for photographers before retreating inside for a private tea.
The week’s schedule also includes today’s address to Congress, a lavish state dinner at the White House and a stop in New York City tomorrow. The Washington events take place with much of the capital city still on edge following the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner shooting on Saturday.
While Trump is an unabashed fan of the British royal family who regularly describes Charles as a ‘great man’, he has had differences with the British government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer is hoping the visit will shore up the future of the two allies’ ‘special relationship’, which is at its lowest point since the Suez Crisis in 1956. The long-planned visit has become enmeshed in a political spat between the two countries over the US-Israeli war on Iran, which led Trump to voice deep displeasure with the British government for failing to support the offensive.
The 77-year-old king today will become the second British monarch to address the US Congress.
The royals will then head to New York City where they will commemorate those killed in the September 11, 2001, attacks ahead of the 25th anniversary, while the queen will also mark the centenary of children’s stories featuring Winnie the Pooh.
The trip concludes in Virginia with the king meeting those involved in conservation work, a nod to his half-century of environmental campaigning.
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