The King smoothly played off an awkward moment in which he bumped into Donald Trump as he and the Queen were welcomed into the White House today.
Kicking off day two of the US state visit, Charles, 77, and Camilla, 78, were greeted with a state arrival ceremony on the South Lawn, the highest diplomatic honour extended by America to a visiting head of state.
But in one instance, when the president and the monarch were walking together, there appeared to be a mix-up over who should go first.
Trump attempted to let Charles through, but the King insisted that the POTUS led the way, as he would need to turn right before they continued the ceremony – creating some confusion.
A quick reshuffle saw the King confidently guide the President to where he needed to stand, and processions continued.
After meeting the official delegations of both countries, including senior political figures, the King and Queen, alongside the President and First Lady, proceeded to a dais for a 21-gun salute and the national anthems performed by the US Marine Band.
They also played during the inspection, before concluding with the ‘Stars and Stripes Forever’ march by John Philip Sousa.
His Majesty and the President, accompanied by the Commander of Troops, inspected the troops on parade in a mirror ceremony of the Guard of Honour that Trump received at Windsor Castle on his own recent state visit to the UK.
The King smoothly played off an awkward moment which saw him bump into the United States President as he and the Queen were welcomed into the White House today
A notable addition to the assembled military regiments was the ‘Space Force’. It is the first White House event that has ever involved the Space Force Honor Guard Formation, the administration said.
President Trump made remarks after the guard inspection, bringing the ceremony to a close.
Before entering the White House, their Majesties and the President and First Lady paused on the historic balcony of the South Portico to watch a stunning ‘Pass in Review’ of nearly 500 members of the US Armed Forces from all six military branches represented at the ceremony in another historic first for state visits at the White House.
Diplomats see this as a sign of how keen the President is that the trip is a success.
After the ceremonial elements of the morning, the King and President will meet for bilateral talks in the iconic Oval Office with their most senior advisers.
Although photographers will be present to capture the first moments of the meeting, there will be no reporters or television cameras present.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given some of the President’s recent showdowns at his official residence, opportunities to hear the two men talking have been kept to a minimum.
Meanwhile, the Queen and the First Lady, who warmly greeted each other with kisses yesterday, will conduct a brief joint engagement together.
They will join American students for a cross-cultural educational event at the White House Tennis Pavilion, where students will be using virtual reality headsets and AI-enabled glasses to learn about American history and the UK, featuring artefacts from the White House Collection and the National Archives and Records Administration.
Kicking off day two of the US state visit, Charles, 77, and Camilla, 78, were greeted with a state arrival ceremony on the South Lawn, the highest diplomatic honour extended by the US to a visiting head of state
Queen Camilla, King Charles, President Donald Trump and Melania Trump at the White House
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greet King Charles III today
Queen Camilla, King Charles, President Donald Trump and Melania Trump at the White House
While there have been calls in recent weeks for the British government to call off the visit, given President Trump’s aggressive foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East, and his spectacular falling out with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, ministers and diplomats are hopeful that the King’s legendary power of ‘soft diplomacy’ will help to smooth over some of the fissures.
The King has developed a genuinely warm relationship with the President, who has made no secret of his admiration for the British Royal Family.
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He was left deeply impressed by the welcome he has received in the UK over the years, both at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle – so much so that he has decided to build his own White House ballroom for official entertaining.
The trip, which has been built around events to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, marking America’s separation from Great Britain, has been billed as the trickiest of His Majesty’s reign so far.
But the welcome he is receiving today suggests that his host, for one, is keen for it to go off without a hitch.
Later, the King will become only the second monarch in history to address a joint session of Congress, the first being his late mother.
His message will be clear: that the US and the UK can come together, even when they disagree on the subject matter, in words likely to be welcomed by politicians on both sides of the Atlantic.
