King Charles III arrives in US for royal visit aimed at easing strained ties

WASHINGTON - King Charles III arrives in Washington, D.C. on Monday for a four‑day state visit marking the United States’ 250th anniversary. 

The trip will also serve as a mission to steady a relationship tested by disagreements between the U.K. government and President Donald Trump over issues including the Iran war.

Trump has praised the king but criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not supporting military action. The visit will include a White House state dinner and a speech to Congress.

A shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner  attended by Trump prompted a last‑minute security review, but Buckingham Palace said the trip would proceed as planned.

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Royal visit schedule

Charles has visited the United States 19 times, but this marks his first state visit since becoming king in 2022. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, made four state visits to the U.S.

The 77‑year‑old monarch, who was diagnosed in early 2024 with an undisclosed form of cancer, will spend four days in the country accompanied by Queen Camilla.

In Washington, the king and queen will have a private tea with the Trumps and attend a garden party and a formal White House state dinner. The president and the king are also scheduled to hold a one‑on‑one meeting.

The royal couple will travel to New York to visit the Sept. 11 memorial and then to Virginia for a 250th‑birthday "block party." Charles will also meet Indigenous leaders involved in nature conservation, a longtime focus of the environmentally minded king.

A key moment of the visit will come Tuesday, when Charles addresses a joint meeting of Congress. It will be only the second time a U.K. monarch has done so, following Queen Elizabeth II’s address in 1991.