By Sean Coughlan, Royal correspondent, Washington DC
6 hours ago
King Charles and Queen Camilla have arrived in the US for a four-day state visit, the first since Queen Elizabeth II’s visit in 2007.
They landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and were greeted at the White House by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. Security is extremely tight after a shooting incident in Washington DC at an event attended by the president on Saturday.
The King will address the US Congress on Tuesday and is expected to express sympathy over the attack. Royal sources say he will tell lawmakers that despite current disagreements, “time and again, our two countries have always found ways to come together”.
His speech is also expected to stress that in times of major international challenges it is necessary to stand together to defend democratic values. He will call for the “reconciliation and renewal” of the US–UK partnership and advocate shared values of tolerance, liberty and equality. The King is expected to urge defence of those beliefs, whether through supporting Nato or protecting Ukraine, and will say the transatlantic alliance is built on a “generosity of spirit and a duty to foster compassion, to promote peace, to deepen mutual understanding and to value people of all faiths and none”.
On arrival at the airbase the royal couple were met on the runway by US chief of protocol Monica Crowley and the British ambassador to the US, Sir Christian Turner, among other dignitaries. They were given flowers by two children of UK service personnel stationed in the US, and a band performed the British and American national anthems.
The King and Queen met the Trumps on the South Portico. They had tea in the Green Room and were shown a newly expanded beehive in the White House garden, rebuilt in the shape of a miniature White House — a honey-coated piece of diplomacy aimed at the king, an enthusiastic supporter of beekeeping.
The state visit, carried out on behalf of the UK government, is a soft power attempt to strengthen ties in a year when the US marks its 250th anniversary of independence. Queen Camilla wore a brooch combining the British and US flags that had been given to the late Queen Elizabeth II by the mayor of New York during a 1957 state visit — a trip that helped rebuild the US–UK partnership after the Suez Crisis of 1956.
Charles and Camilla then attended a crowded garden party at the British embassy in Washington DC for more than 600 guests with US and UK connections from politics, science, charities and the military. The food included sandwiches and scones; the beef sandwiches were made from the first tariff-free batch of British beef imported after a recently negotiated deal.
Among those at the event were former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Ted Cruz and UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. Queen Camilla spent time speaking with women from organisations campaigning against domestic abuse. Sandra Jackson of House of Ruth said the queen’s attention to the issue was “very important” and “a cause very close to her heart”. Michelle DeLaune, another campaigner, said it was a sign of progress that a prominent figure was raising the issue publicly.
There have been calls for the King and Queen to meet survivors of Jeffrey Epstein, but that has not happened amid concerns about jeopardising legal processes. Epstein survivor Rina Oh told the BBC she wanted the King “to hear our stories” and said it would be impactful if he acknowledged survivors in his speech to Congress.
On Tuesday, after a White House ceremonial military welcome, the King will deliver his speech to both houses of Congress, the first monarch since Elizabeth II in 1991 to make such an address. The visit comes after a rocky period in US–UK relations, with President Trump critical of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over the UK’s reluctance to become involved in the conflict in Iran.
A state dinner at the White House will include a speech by President Trump and bring together politicians and celebrities from both countries.
