Washington DC – Britain’s King Charles III arrived in Washington on Monday for a high-stakes state visit aimed at salvaging frayed ties with Donald Trump, amid extra-tight security following an attack on a gala dinner attended by the US president.
Tensions over the Iran war have rocked the so-called “special relationship” ahead of a trip that was meant to mark the US’ 250th anniversary of independence from the British monarch’s ancestors.
Charles and Queen Camilla will now be using their four-day visit – their first time on American soil since he became king in 2022 – to mount a diplomatic charm offensive targeting the royalty-obsessed Trump.
The royal couple arrived at Joint Base Andrews near Washington on a plane with the Union Jack painted on the tail.
King Charles reacts to Washington shooting just days before his trip to the US
Charles and Camilla then descended red-carpeted steps to be greeted by Britain’s ambassador Christian Turner and White House protocol chief Monica Crowley on the tarmac.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday the visit would “honor the long-standing and special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.”
Trump and his wife Melania will greet the British royals at the White House on Monday before hosting them for tea and a tour of a new beehive installed by the First Lady.
On Tuesday, the Trumps will meet Charles and Camilla in the Oval Office and hold a state dinner. Charles will also become the first British monarch to address Congress since his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, in 1991.
The royals will visit New York on Wednesday, touring the 9/11 memorial, before departing Thursday for Bermuda for their first visit to a British overseas territory as monarch.
