King will have ‘very best security’ for state visit: Live updates

Melania Trump announced on Friday that she is expanding the White House honey program by adding a beehive in the shape of the White House to two other beehives that have been on the south grounds since 2009.

The existing hives can swell to about 70,000 bees during peak summer months and produce 200 pounds to 225 pounds of honey in a year, the White House said.

The new hive could increase honey production by about 30 pounds, according to the White House.

The announcement came just before Britain’s King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, were expected to arrive in Washington on a four-day state visit.

Charles and Camilla are supporters of beekeeping. The king keeps at least three beehives at Highgrove House, their private residence southwest of Tetbury in Gloucestershire, England, as part of his support for the environment and sustainability.

The royals are expected to tour the beehives before having tea with the President and First Lady today.

Prince William is reportedly very concerned about King Charles’ health and was against his visit to the United States.

Royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner told The Mirror US: ‘King Charles and Queen Camilla have caused allegedly a row within the Royal Family after accepting a visit to America as part of the 250th centenary celebrations.

‘Sources close to the Royal family have allegedly stated that Prince William was against the couple going to the celebrations as he felt that his father’s health was still not the best, but apparently he was overruled by Queen Camilla.’

Charles, 77, was diagnosed with cancer in 2024. William has not publicly spoken about the visit.

Preparations are underway for the arrival of King Charles and Queen Camilla in Washington, DC.

King Charles will not meet with his son, Prince Harry, during his visit to the United States this week, ABC News reported.

Charles is not expected to see his son, who lives in California with wife Meghan Markle, or his grandchildren, Lilibet, 4, and Archie, 6.

The king has reportedly not seen his grandchildren since they came to the UK in 2022.

First Lady Melania Trump has been ‘very involved’ in planning for King Charles and Queen Camilla’s visit to the White House.

‘Melania is totally across it. There’s lots of attention to detail, and she admits it has to be a great success,’ sources told The Telegraph.

The royals will head to Washington, DC today for the first leg of their visit to the United States.

Here is what’s on the schedule for King Charles and Queen Camilla’s first day in the US.

• 12pm ET – Royals arrive
• 4.15pm ET – President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greet the King and Queen
• 4.20pm ET – The couples will participate in a tea and beehive tour, then the royals will head to the British Embassy for a garden party

Buckingham Palace said that security for King Charles and Queen Camilla was reviewed after the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ dinner on Saturday.

‘As you would expect, a number of discussions will be taking place throughout the day to discuss with US colleagues and our respective teams to what degree the events of Saturday evening may or may not impact on the operational planning for the visit,’ a palace spokesperson told The Guardian.

‘There will be some modest adjustments to one or two royal engagements during the trip.’

The British Embassy in Washington shared a behind-the-scenes look at the food preparations ahead of King Charles’ state visit.

‘Chef is preparing afternoon tea for 650 guests, including Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla,’ the embassy wrote on X

‘Four kinds of tea sandwiches, scones, desserts, and several British flavours from smoked Scottish salmon to British Beef!’

American voters listed members of the British royal family as their favorite living Brits.

Topping the list: King Charles and Prince Harry, who is married to American actress Meghan Markle, followed by Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Coming in a distant fifth was Paul McCartney of the Beatles.

King Charles’ four-day state visit to the United States marks the first official state visit by a British monarch since 2007.

Charles has visited the US 19 times, but this is his first state visit to the country since becoming king in 2022.

His last visit to the US was in March 2015, where he met with then-President Barack Obama.

His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, made four state visits to the US, with her last trip in 2007.

According to Politico, King Charles is expected to address the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting during a speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.

His speech is expected to last from 20 minutes to half an hour, exceeding the 12 minute speech his mother Queen Elizabeth II gave during a state visit in 1991.

There will allegedly be no ‘substantive announcements’ made by the King, and the talk will feature little focus on policy.

However, a source close to the preparations told the outlet: ‘There is a feeling that the king can probably advance maybe one issue, so the question is what that issue will be.’