Here's what we covered today
• Trip to NYC: King Charles and Queen Camilla visited New York City on the third day of their state visit. Together, they went to the 9/11 memorial and a US-UK cultural reception. Charles also stopped by an urban farm in Harlem and a US-UK trade and business event, while Camilla spoke at a literary gathering.
• Iran comments: Last night, the British royals were honored at a state dinner hosted by President Donald Trump. Buckingham Palace has since sought to downplay comments made by Trump during the dinner that apparently revealed Charles’ views on Iran.
• US-UK tensions: During the King’s address to a joint meeting of Congress Tuesday, he subtly — but with some force — pushed back on several issues that Trump has sparred with Britain over in recent months, including offering praise to NATO, which the US leader has repeatedly criticized for not getting involved in the conflict with Iran.
Our live coverage for Day 3 of the state visit of King Charles and Queen Camilla to the United States has ended. We will have more coverage tomorrow when the royals spend their final day in the country. Please scroll through the posts below to see what happened on Wednesday.
From FiDi to Harlem: What the monarchs did today during their visit to New York City
King Charles III and Queen Camilla have wrapped up a busy day in New York City on the third day of their state visit to the United States.
They attended an event at the 9/11 memorial in New York’s Financial District before going to several other engagements.
Here’s a recap:
- FiDi event: The King and Queen went to the 9/11 memorial in Lower Manhattan in recognition of the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. “We honour the memory of those who tragically lost their lives on 11th September 2001,” the royals wrote on the note card attached to a bouquet of white flowers. “We stand in enduring solidarity with the American people in the face of profound loss.” The bouquet was laid on the edge of one of the memorial’s pools and they then greeted a group of families of 9/11 victims and first responders.
- Somber moments: A uniformed officer appeared to present a small memento to the Queen, according to a pool report. During another interaction, a woman held up a photo of her late brother as she spoke to the royals. Pool reporters said the woman gave Camilla a hug after seeming to ask her for permission.
- Urban farming: The next official stop for Charles was in Harlem where he visited Harlem Grown, a community organization that helps kids and hosts agricultural and educational programs. The King watched some kids plant lavender and joined in feeding chickens at the coop.
- Books and Winnie-the-Pooh: Meantime, Camilla went to a literary event at the New York Public Library. She toured a selection of materials from the America250 collection and read to children, before giving a short speech. The Queen also gifted the institution a new Roo doll to complete the collection of toys that inspired A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories.
- Trade event: For Charles’ third engagement of the day, he went to a UK trade and business event at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. He mingled with investors from various American financial services and capital funds.
- King’s Trust: Finally, the King and Queen attended a UK-US cultural reception for King’s Trust before heading back to Washington, DC.
Meanwhile, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would like to ask Charles to return the controversial 105.6 carat Koh-i-Noor diamond. CNN’s Max Foster explains the significance of this diamond and why the owner of it is in dispute.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani says he would ask King Charles to return the controversial 105.6 carat Koh-i-Noor diamond. CNN's Max Foster explains the significance of this diamond and why the owner of it is in dispute.
CNN’s Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Maureen Chowdhury, Ivana Kottasová and Aditi Sangal contributed reporting to this post.
Charles highlights work of King’s Trust charity during gala reception
King Charles and Queen Camilla wrapped up their day in New York City at the Christie’s auction house for a reception in partnership with his charity, the King’s Trust.
The royals were joined by a number of celebrities, including Anna Wintour, Charlotte Tilbury and Donatella Versace, according to pool notes from the reception.
He went on to highlight the work the charity has accomplished over the years, according to the pool.
Here's how New Yorkers are reacting to the King's visit
King Charles and Queen Camilla are in New York on the third day of their state visit.
Here’s how New Yorkers are reacting:
King Charles is in town and CNN asks New Yorkers what they think about his visit.
These are some of the people who were invited to attend the King’s Trust Global Gala in NYC
To conclude the third day of their state visit, King Charles III and Queen Camilla made an appearance at the King’s Trust Global Gala tonight at Rockefeller Center.
The King’s Trust, a charity founded by Charles in 1976, is the UK’s leading youth charity, helping tackle “the global crisis of youth unemployment,” among other issues, according to its website.
Tonight’s gala includes a star-studded guest list including co-chairs of the King’s Trust Gala, beauty entrepreneur Charlotte Tilbury and musician Lionel Richie.
Here are some of the guests expected to attend:
- Media executive Anna Wintour
- Fashion designer Donatella Versace
- Model Iman
- “One Day” actor Leo Woodall
- Celebrity stylist Law Roach
- Fashion designer Stella McCartney
- Entrepreneur Martha Stewart
- Model Karlie Kloss
- “White Lotus” actor Meghann Fahy
- Fashion editor Edward Enninful OBE
Sarah Jessica Parker talks about the importance of education at New York Public Library
At the New York Public Library, a group of around 100 guests, including authors Min Jin Lee and Harlan Coben, Sarah Jessica Parker and British editor Anna Wintour, gathered to speak about the importance of libraries and education.
“In the face of a lot of cuts in libraries and education, and public schools, my great focus today is on funding for libraries,” Parker told a pool reporter ahead of the event.
Introducing Queen Camilla, broadcaster and literacy advocate Jenna Bush Hager highlighted her work in promoting book access and reading.
“It has been a great delight to share a common love of books with the Queen, and a shared determination to make room for them in as many hearts and homes as possible,” Bush Hager said.
And in her own remarks, the Queen recounted how she started her book club, The Queen’s Reading Room, on Instagram during the pandemic.
Charles stops at Rockefeller Center for trade and business reception
For King Charles’ third engagement of the day, he’s gone to a UK trade and business event at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper gathered 12 of the most senior chief executives from across the US and UK in the private dining room on the 65th floor.
Among the attendees was Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, Alphabet President Ruth Porat and Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser.
Charles joined to hear their reflections on investment opportunities in the UK. He shook hands with each, asking about their careers, the places they’ve worked and how they are investing in Britain.
He then headed in to the reception area of Bar 65 at the Rainbow Room, where more than 50 other executives had been brought together from a variety of sectors including technology, creative industries, energy, infrastructure, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, advanced manufacturing and capital investment.
With sweeping views of New York, the guests were treated to canapés and beverages. Nikhil Goel of Archer Aviation showed the King a video of his “Midnight” electric air taxi, which the King appeared amused by.
Books have the ability to bring people together, Queen Camilla says
In the storied halls of the New York Public Library, Queen Camilla championed the importance of reading, highlighting how books have the power to bring people across the world together.
“The first Americans I knew and loved were the characters I met in my treasured childhood novels: ‘Little Women,’ ‘What Katie Did,’ ‘Charlotte’s Web,’” she said. “I knew even then that books are the best friends you can have, in good times and in bad.”
While at the library, Queen Camilla toured a selection of historic books and manuscripts from the America250 collection, the British Embassy said. She also read aloud to children as the Queen marked the 100th anniversary of Winnie-the-Pooh, according to the embassy.
During the pandemic, the Queen said, she launched an informal book club on Instagram where she shared what she was reading. The page has grown into a charity that helps get books to people who need them, she said, “including survivors of domestic and sexual violence.”
The book club, which has featured a dozen American authors so far, has reached millions of people in 183 countries across the world, Queen Camilla said.
Books have a “magic way of bringing people together” and transcend barriers, she said in remarks to the gathered crowd.
“It’s for that reason that I already feel at home with you here in these hallowed rooms, where your mission is to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge and strengthen our communities,” Queen Camilla said.
Queen Camilla reunites Roo with the rest of the Winnie-the-Pooh crew
Queen Camilla is now visiting the New York Public Library, where she is taking part in a literary event – and helping one famous stuffed animal reunite with his friends.
The library announced last week the Queen would be gifting the institution a new Roo doll to complete the collection of toys that inspired A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories. The beloved book was first published in October 1926.
The original Roo has been long lost, so to mark the book’s centenary Camilla is bringing a replica. The toy has been handcrafted in the UK by Merrythought, Britain’s oldest surviving teddy bear manufacturer.
Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Roo’s mum Kanga and Tigger were donated to the library nearly 40 years ago. The five toys were originally owned by Christopher Robin Milne, A.A. Milne’s son.
Businesses hope Charles' state visit restores momentum in US-UK trade relations
With King Charles expected to attend a US-UK business trade event in New York, businesses involved in trade corridor between the two countries hope his state visit “helps restore momentum and keeps economic cooperation moving forward,” said Duncan Edwards, CEO of BritishAmerican Business, a transatlantic trade association of more than 400 companies.
While the visit has been a success “in reinforcing the strength and depth of the US-UK partnership,” Edwards said, “there is still much to be done to live up to the ambition” of the new initiatives the United States and United Kingdom agreed upon over the past year.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Anna Wintour attend literary event with Queen
Several high-profile writers and readers were at the literary event attended by Queen Camilla in New York City today.
They included Sarah Jessica Parker — an actress, avid reader and publishing imprint owner.
She told CNN last year that book banning only “hurts people” emphasized the importance of being able to learn through books. Parker also judged the Booker Prize in 2025.
Anna Wintour, Vogue’s global editorial director, was seen chatting with other guests, next to Parker.
Also in the room is Min Jin Lee, a Korean-American author, best known for her novel “Free Food for Millionaires,” and New York Public Library CEO Anthony Marx.
Jenna Bush Hager, the co-host of the TODAY show who also does the “Read With Jenna” book club, introduced the Queen.
Queen Camilla embraces 9/11 victim’s relative as she and King Charles meet families
King Charles and Queen Camilla’s visit today to the 9/11 memorial was a somber moment.
Keeping with tradition, the King did not make a public speech during the wreath-laying event. The royal couple laid a bouquet of white flowers with what appeared to be a card or message attached, according to a pool report.
Afterward the King and Queen made their way to a tented area where they greeted a group of families of 9/11 victims, first responders, New York and New Jersey politicians.
A uniformed officer appeared to present a small memento to the Queen, pressing the item into her hand. During another interaction, a woman dressed in a bright purple dress held up a photo of her late brother as she spoke with the Queen and then later the King. Pool reporters said the woman gave Camilla a hug after seeming to ask her for permission.
A news release following the King’s visit shared comments made by another family member, who lost her brother in the terrorist attack.
See the royal floral tribute at the 9/11 memorial
Earlier, King Charles and Queen Camilla visited the site of the national memorial in New York commemorating the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
While there, the pair left a bouquet of flowers on the edge of one of the memorial pools.
The note was signed by Charles and Camilla.
Charles visits an urban farm community project in Harlem
The British monarch visited Harlem Grown, a community organization and after-school initiative that aims to tackle families’ systemic health, education and well-being challenges by transforming abandoned urban lots into sustainable farms.
Charles spoke to the charity’s founder and staff and observed children participating in agricultural activities.
He observed two kids planting lavender. When asked, a young boy said he would name his plant “Steph Curry,” referring to the NBA player.
Charles also joined some children in feeding chickens at the coop. A young girl complimented the monarch on his hair. The British royal then proceeded to observe the schoolchildren cutting up fruits and vegetables with brightly colored plastic knives.
As he was leaving the premise, he was greeted by a few locals. He shook hands and noted the street closure. “I’m sure I’m ruining your day,” Charles said.
King Charles is a longtime environmentalist and advocate for sustainability. During his address to Congress yesterday, he said, “Our generation must decide how to address the collapse of critical natural systems, which threatens far more than the harmony and essential diversity of nature.”
Trump continues complaints about Starmer, but says warm ties with Charles could smooth tensions
President Donald Trump said his warm relationship with King Charles III, solidified during a grand state visit this week, could help mend rocky ties with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
But he continued to lash out at Britain’s reluctance to join in the war against Iran, and suggested the king, if he were prime minister, would have adopted a different approach.
“When you like the king of a country so much, it probably helps your relationship with the prime minister,” Trump said in the Oval Office a day after hosting the monarch for a white-tie state dinner.
The visit was a demonstration of British soft power at a moment of deeply strained ties between Washington and London. Trump has derided Starmer for refusing to join the war with Iran.
Charles, in an address to Congress, sought to subtly rebut some of Trump’s critiques, harkening to US-UK military cooperation and the power of alliances.
Trump, who said he loved Charles’ speech, had only positive things to say about the king, and suggested Charles may have made different decisions than Starmer if he were in charge of making them.
“He’s a great king, and he’s a great friend of mine. And I think if he were doing that, if that were up to him, he would have probably helped us with Iran. He would have followed the suggestions we made with respect to Ukraine,” Trump said.
King Charles is en route to Harlem
Charles is making his way to Harlem, which involves his next engagement for the day in New York.
Mamdani said he’d urge the King to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond if they spoke separately
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would ask King Charles to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond — one of the world’s most famous and controversial gemstones — to India if he had the opportunity to speak separately with the monarch.
Mamdani and the King briefly met after a wreath-laying event at the 9/11 memorial today. The mayor was among several of New York’s elected officials present for the royal visit to Ground Zero.
Ahead of today’s event, Mamdani was asked at a news conference whether he had any specific message he would like to deliver to the King.
Mamdani acknowledged he would be attending the wreath-laying ceremony “alongside a number of other elected officials” and noted the purpose of the event was to honor the people who died on 9/11.
CNN has reached out to Mamdani’s office.
More on the diamond: The 105-carat jewel, set into the Queen Mother’s crown, has been the source of decadeslong contention between India and the UK. Following Queen Elizabeth II’s death, India renewed calls for the stone’s repatriation. Camilla decided not to include the contested jewel in her coronation crown.
Among its previous owners were “Mughal Emperors, Shahs of Iran, Emirs of Afghanistan, and Sikh Maharajas,” according to the UK’s Historic Royal Palaces (HRP).
The East India Company took the Koh-i-Noor from the deposed Maharaja Duleep Singh in 1849 and it was given to Queen Victoria.
CNN’s Max Foster, Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Hafsa Khalil contributed to this report.
This post has been updated with additional reporting.
Mamdani meets King Charles
There are a number of New York’s elected officials present for the royal visit to Ground Zero, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Also in attendance is New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill.
They were also joined by former New York mayor and chairman of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum Michael Bloomberg as they viewed the memorial pools.
Charles and Camilla meet organizations keeping legacy of 9/11
King Charles and Queen Camilla are now meeting representatives of organizations supporting families of the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack, and working to preserve the legacy of 9/11 for future generations.
Among the groups is Tuesday’s Children, a nonprofit organization, which offers youth mentorship, community programs and other events.
Yesterday in his speech to Congress, the British monarch said he was going to be visiting the memorial to “again pay our respects to the victims, the families, and the bravery shown in the face of terrible loss.”
He added, “We stood with you then. And we stand with you now in solemn remembrance of a day that shall never be forgotten.”
Royals meet victims' families and first responders
King Charles and Queen Camilla are now being introduced to the families of victims of the 2001 terror attacks and some of the first responders involved in the response efforts.
The royals were also expected to talk serving personnel to learn about the legacy and human impact of the attacks.
