King Charles and Queen Camilla will fly to Washington today to start a four-day state visit, despite security concerns after a gunman tried to storm a dinner President Trump was hosting.
Britain’s ambassador to the US confirmed that ‘all appropriate security measures’ are in place, with the palace confirming the visit would ‘proceed as planned’ despite what the White House called an attempted assassination of the president.
Sources told the Daily Mail the monarch is determined to ‘keep calm and carry on’ – and that if the Government wants him to travel, ‘that’s exactly what he will do’.
The royal couple were initially visiting Washington DC, New York and Virginia to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence – but also to help strengthen the special UK-US relationship, which has been under serious strain in recent months.
The visit is the most important foreign trip of the King’s reign so far but now has the added element of increased security concerns.
It comes at a pivotal moment for the UK and US, with relations between Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the American leader fractious.
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The Big Question: How did a gunman spark chaos at Trump dinner?
King Charles makes first US visit in over a decade
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.
What will King Charles discuss in his state visit speech?
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 speech 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.’
King Charles to attend 9/11 event with Zohran Mamdani
King Charles is set to attend a 9/11 memorial wreath-laying event with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday.
Sixty-seven British citizens were killed during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers.
However, Mamdani’s press secretary, Joe Calvello, told Fox News Digital the two will not meet privately.
‘The mayor will not meet privately with King Charles. He was invited to join a number of New York elected officials next week at a wreath laying at the 9/11 memorial with members of the British royal family,’ Calvello said.
The British monarch is slated to make stops in Washington, DC, New York and Virginia during his April 27 to April 30 state visit.
Insider reveals how Trump and Melania are preparing for King Charles and Queen Camilla’s royal visit as they’ll ‘keep calm and carry on’ despite security worries… and the one rule the President is bound to break
Nearly 250 years after America famously broke ties with the British Crown, King Charles III is still set to return to Washington this week to reaffirm the ‘Special Relationship’ between the two nations during a period of significant national tension.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are planning to arrive on Monday for their high-stakes state visit with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
Following the security breach at last night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Buckingham Palace issued a statement confirming that His Majesty is being kept fully informed of developments and is greatly relieved to hear that the President, First Lady, and all guests remained unharmed.
The British ambassador to the US, Sir Christian Turner, said Sunday that they are ‘Absolutely expecting’ the King and Queen. ‘It’s very British, keep calm and carry on.’
VIDEO – Trump insists King will be ‘very safe’
Here’s a video clip of Donald Trump talking about the state visit during an interview with CBS, as he insisted King Charles will be ‘very safe’:
What do the governments want from the visit?
Kristofer Allerfeldt, a University of Exeter professor specialising in American history, said the US and UK governments have very different objectives for the state visit.
He said that for Charles, the trip is about ‘reinforcing long-term ties, showcasing the monarchy’s soft power and reminding the world that Britain still carries diplomatic weight.’
For Mr Trump, it’s more about ‘a media event’, with emphasis on the optics of a visit that resembles a meeting of ‘two gilded monarchs.’
King will be ‘very safe’, says Donald Trump
Donald Trump has insisted King Charles will be ‘very safe’ after it was confirmed the state visit will go ahead as planned on Monday despite a shooting at a White House dinner attended by the President.
‘I think it’s great; he’ll be very safe,’ Mr Trump said in an interview on CBS News’ 60 Minutes. ‘The White House grounds are really safe.’
The President also said there was no indication from authorities that there were additional threats to himself or other officials.
Insider reveals how Trump and Melania are preparing royal visit… and the one rule the President is bound to break
Alison Cheperdak, a former Trump White House aide and founder of Elevate Etiquette, has been advising the Trumps on the intricate ‘dos and don’ts’ of royal interaction.
Read more here.
ROBERT HARDMAN: Can Charles smooth over the gaping chasm between our two countries?
Well that’s the conversation-starter sorted out when the King meets President Trump this time tomorrow.
For both heads of state belong to the same exclusive club: world leaders who have come under attack in public – and survived.
Read more here.
Queen Camilla to give missing Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed toy to New York library during royal US state visit
Queen Camilla will give a stuffed toy to a library during the royal US visit to complete its collection.
On Camilla’s itinerary is a visit to the New York Public Library, where she will view its permanent Treasures collection.
Roo, a character from Winnie-the-Pooh, has been specially created by a British teddy bear maker for the New York Public Library, which will receive the gift from the Queen.
This is home to the teddy bears that belonged to Christopher Robin, son of Winnie-the-Pooh creator A A Milne, and which are believed to have inspired the stories first published a century ago, in 1926.
The collection on display currently includes Winnie, Tigger, Piglet, Kanga and Eeyore.
It is missing the original baby kangaroo toy – Roo – which was lost in an apple orchard in the 1930s.
TOM BOWER: Inside the Palace’s decision to push ahead with King’s trip to the US
Amid the unprecedented controversy surrounding King Charles’ first state visit to the US, all the coverage has focused on the diplomatic fall-out from Britain’s reluctance to support Donald Trump’s war in Iran, the president’s contempt for Keir Starmer and the suggestion that America might dispute Britain’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
But the question we should all be asking is: ‘What’s in it for Trump?’
Read more here.
Key Updates
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The Big Question: Can a royal visit really fix a political rift?
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Why is this trip so important?
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What changes will have now been made for the State Visit?
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What do we know about the attack?
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King keeps calm and carries on
