King Charles III and Queen Camilla Begin Four-Day US State Visit

King Charles III and Queen Camilla Begin Four-Day US State Visit

April 28, 2026

King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived in the United States on Monday, April 27, for a four-day state visit covering Washington, D.C., New York City, and Virginia. The trip marks the first official visit by a reigning British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II came to the US in 2007, and coincides with the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence.

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Day One: Arrival and the White House

The royal couple landed at Joint Base Andrews in the afternoon, where they were received by US Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley and British Ambassador to the US Sir Christian Turner. A motorcade then brought them to the White House, where President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump received them privately.

The four met for afternoon tea in the White House Green Room. Photos from the occasion show the two couples seated around a table set with tea service. After tea, Trump joined Charles and Camilla for a tour of the South Lawn, including a stop at the recently expanded White House beehive. Honey harvested from the beehive is reportedly being given to guests attending the state dinner.

In the evening, the King and Queen attended a garden party at the British Ambassador's Residence, hosted by Ambassador Christian Turner. Around 600 guests attended, drawn from politics, science, sustainability, domestic violence organizations, and the arts, from both countries. Notable attendees included House Speaker Mike Johnson, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Senate Republican Ted Cruz, Olympic diver Tom Daley, and Lioness footballer Esme Morgan. The King met Johnson first upon arriving, followed by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Queen Camilla spoke separately with representatives from domestic violence organizations.

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Day Two: Bilateral Meeting, Congress, and State Dinner

Tuesday, April 28, brought the formal core of the Washington program.

In the morning, a military arrival ceremony was held on the South Lawn of the White House. Trump spoke at the ceremony, referencing the "special relationship" between the two countries and recalling that the ship on which Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt met during World War II was named The Prince of Wales — a title Charles held longer than any other person in British history. The president and the King then walked along the Colonnade to the Oval Office for a bilateral meeting, which began at approximately 11:57 a.m. The First Lady and Queen Camilla attended a separate program with students at the White House Tennis Pavilion focused on education and cultural exchange.

The two governments exchanged gifts. The King presented Trump with a framed facsimile of the 1879 design plans for the Resolute Desk — the historic Oval Office desk made from the timbers of the British ship HMS Resolute, originally gifted to President Rutherford B. Hayes. Trump gave the King a custom facsimile of a letter written by John Adams to John Jay in 1785, in which Adams describes his meeting with King George III as the first US ambassador to Great Britain.

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Charles Addresses Congress

In the afternoon, King Charles delivered an address to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the US Capitol. It is only the second time a British monarch has done so; the first was Queen Elizabeth II in 1991.

He was introduced by House Speaker Mike Johnson and received a standing ovation on arrival. The chamber was described by multiple reporters as packed, with laughter and applause breaking out repeatedly during the speech.

Charles opened by thanking the American people for welcoming him and Camilla to mark "this semiquincentennial year." He described the relationship between the two nations as one of "reconciliation, renewal and remarkable partnership," saying their destinies had been "interlinked" for 250 years.

He referenced the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner three days earlier, telling lawmakers: "We meet, too, in the aftermath of the incident not far from this great building that sought to harm the leadership of your nation and to foment wider fear and discord."

He invoked the September 11 attacks, noting the upcoming 25th anniversary in September and saying the attacks were "a defining moment for America" and that Britain stood with the US then as it does now. He used the occasion to praise NATO, saying: "The commitment and expertise of the United States Armed Forces and its allies lie at the heart of NATO, pledged to each other's defense." He also called for continued support for Ukraine, saying: "Today, that same unyielding resolve is needed for the defense of Ukraine and her most courageous people."

His speech also drew on humor. He described the founding of the United States as what Charles Dickens "might have called 'a tale of two Georges'" — referring to George Washington and King George III — before telling the chamber: "Please rest assured, I am not here as part of some cunning rearguard action." The line was met with laughter.

He also noted a British parliamentary tradition of holding a member of parliament "hostage" at Buckingham Palace during the State Opening — drawing a comparison to America's "designated survivor" — joking that the hostage "often does not want to leave."

He quoted Trump from a 2025 state visit to the UK, in which the president said: "The bond of kinship and identity between America and the United Kingdom is priceless and eternal."

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Diplomatic Context

The visit arrives against the backdrop of strained US-UK relations. The UK has not taken part in US and Israeli military operations against Iran, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been at odds with the Trump administration over the conflict. Several British MPs called for the visit to be canceled; Starmer declined, saying the King could use the trip to help repair ties. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told CNN on Monday that while there would always be areas of disagreement, the two nations have "two and a half million jobs dependent on trade between our countries."

Security arrangements for the visit were reviewed following the Correspondents' Dinner shooting on Saturday, April 25. Buckingham Palace confirmed the visit would proceed as planned, with some minor adjustments to specific engagements.

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Remaining Schedule

After the state dinner at the White House on Tuesday evening — described as the first formal white tie event there since the George W. Bush presidency — the King and Queen are scheduled to travel to New York City on Wednesday, where they will visit the September 11 Memorial and a community project in Harlem, as well as attend an event marking the centenary of Winnie the Pooh. On Thursday, the couple head to Virginia before departing for Bermuda.

Charles is not expected to meet his son Prince Harry, who lives in California, during the trip.

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Sources: CBS News, CNN, ABC News, Fox News, PBS NewsHour, ITV News, Associated Press, Buckingham Palace (via Wikipedia), US Department of Justice (gift exchange details via Fox News)