Here's the latest
• King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive in Washington, DC, today on a state visit to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence. The British royals will be greeted at the White House by President Donald Trump.
• The visit comes as US-UK relations are strained by the war in Iran, with Trump slamming Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s refusal to assist the US militarily. Although the Charles must stay above politics, his government is hoping that his US tour can help ease tensions.
• The trip is going ahead despite the shooting at a press gala in Washington, DC on Saturday. After the attack, Trump said he was still looking forward to meeting with the British monarch.
With a Garden Party, the royals are bringing a British tradition to Washington
Today’s diplomacy will include a party at the garden of the British ambassador’s residence. (Yes, “garden.” Not “yard.”)
Garden Parties are a staple for Britain’s royals. They host four each year – three at Buckingham Palace, one at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland.
Some 30,000 guests are invited to the each year’s parties. Typically, these are people who have made a significant contribution to British public life, whether in government, charity, the military or through the Church and other faiths. Britons cannot apply for an invitation; they are invited through a network of sponsors.
While royals make their way through the crowds, the guests are usually served classic British foods – think cucumber sandwiches, Victoria sponge cakes, scones. (And, of course, tea.)
The last time a royal Garden Party was held at the ambassador’s residence was in 1939 – when King George VI became the first reigning British monarch to visit the US since it declared independence in 1776. President Franklin D. Roosevelt attended that party.
Donald Trump, however, will not be at the ambassador’s residence this evening. The US president and first lady Melania Trump will informally greet Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, at the White House. The royal couple will then receive a full ceremonial welcome at the White House tomorrow morning.
Several major events have transpired between the UK and US since Trump and Charles last met
Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla are embarking on their long-planned visit to the US today.
Charles is set to become the second British monarch to address a joint meeting of Congress — his mother Queen Elizabeth II did so in 1991. This trip marks the first time that Charles has met with US President Donald Trump since the US president’s state visit to Windsor Castle last September.
Since then, several major events have transpired.
Here’s what you need to know:
- UK-Epstein fallout: On February 19, former prince and Charles’ younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He became the first senior royal to be arrested in modern history. The arrest followed the US government’s release of documents detailing Mountbatten-Windsor’s involvement with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Police investigations focused on Mountbatten-Windsor’s tenure as UK trade envoy and the ties he had with Epstein at that time.
- Peter Mandelson arrested: On February 23, former UK ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was accused of providing market-sensitive information to Epstein while serving as the UK’s business secretary. Mandelson’s arrest came weeks after his resignations from the Labour Party and the British Parliament’s House of Lords as more details of his relationship with Epstein surfaced. The Mandelson scandal has rocked British politics, leading to growing pressure for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign for his decision to appoint Mandelson.
- Trump-Starmer feud: In recent weeks, Trump has publicly voiced his disapproval with Starmer’s reluctance to help the US militarily in the war with Iran. Trump’s disparagement began when Starmer denied the president’s request to use British military bases for war efforts, which Starmer understood to be illegal. The public feud had many British lawmakers questioning whether Charles should continue with his US trip. Ultimately, the palace confirmed the visit, setting the backdrop for an unusually delicate meeting between the two longtime allied nations.
Queen Elizabeth II had a long history of US state visits. This will be King Charles' first
It has been nearly 20 years since the last state visit by a British monarch to the United States.
The last state visit came in 2007 when President George W. Bush hosted Queen Elizabeth II, according to the White House Historical Association. The visit was to celebrate the “400th anniversary of the English settlement of Jamestown, Virginia,” it said.
Bush had a white-tie state dinner for Elizabeth, and she also visited the World War II Memorial, according to the association.
Queen Elizabeth II also came for a state visit in 1991 at the invitation of President George H.W. Bush, when she became the first British monarch to give a joint address to Congress, the House Office of the Historian said. King Charles will also give a speech to lawmakers on Tuesday during his trip.
All in all, Elizabeth had a long history of visits during her time on the throne, which spanned 14 presidential administrations, the White House Historical Association said. She even visited President Ronald Reagan at his home in California in the Santa Ynez mountains, where enchiladas and tacos were on the menu, the association said.
Why King Charles and Queen Camilla aren’t meeting Epstein survivors while in the US
While there have been calls for King Charles and Queen Camilla to meet with survivors of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while in the US for a state visit, the royal couple are not planning to do so.
CNN understands that is because Buckingham palace is conscious that a meeting may affect the results of British legal inquiries into Epstein’s close relationships with senior members of the British government and royal family.
Charles’ brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested earlier this year on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The former prince has not released a statement on his arrest. But he has previously denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and has denied knowing of or participating in his crimes.
That being said, Queen Camilla is expected to meet representatives of groups campaigning against domestic violence.
There are likely to be opportunities across the three places they are visiting, such as the garden party at the British ambassador’s residence in Washington DC later today.
Camilla has campaigned against domestic abuse and sexual violence for more than 10 years, and made the work a core element of her royal portfolio.
King Charles' visit comes on the same year as America's 250th birthday
Just 250 years ago, a group of delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, and the United States of America was reveling in newfound freedom from British rule.
And now, a quarter of a millennium later, the US is welcoming the United Kingdom’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday.
The royals’ itinerary stateside “will celebrate the historic connections and the modern bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States, marking the 250th anniversary of American Independence,” according to Buckingham Palace.
It’s the first time a British monarch has made a state visit in nearly 20 years. Queen Elizabeth II last made a state visit in 2007 under the invitation of former President George Bush.
King Charles visit to shore up US-UK relations echoes a trip his late mother made
All eyes will be watching to see if King Charles’ visit to Washington helps restore the so-called “special relationship,” as ties between the two allies have backslid to their lowest point in decades.
For those with long memories, it may feel familiar as Charles’ late mother, Queen Elizabeth II embarked on a similar mission in 1957.
Back then, she went to see President Dwight D. Eisenhower and successfully revived the transatlantic alliance in the aftermath of the Suez Crisis.
State visits are undertaken at the request of the UK government and have often taken place during politically charged moments. This trip is no different, taking place after US President Donald Trump has repeatedly railed against the British government and its military over its reluctance to participate in the Iran conflict.
A palace spokesperson previously said the visit will “mark, with the American people, the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence.”
The spokesperson added: “It will also be an opportunity to mark the shared history of the two Nations, and the breadth of the economic, security and cultural relationship that has developed since then, as well as the deep people-to-people links which unite our communities.”
For the King, the UK-US relationship transcends any individual currently in office – a point he will emphasise through his packed schedule over the next four days.
As one UK source familiar with the state visit plans put it to CNN ahead of the trip, the reality is that there have been past disagreements but the two nations have always come back together. Things don’t always have to be “rosy,” the source added.
Why meeting with Trump now will be King Charles’ toughest diplomatic test so far
“The word ‘special’ does not begin to do it justice,” said Donald Trump of the relationship between the United States and Britain. “We’re like two notes in one chord, or two verses of the same poem — each beautiful on its own, but really meant to be played together.”
That was in September at a banquet hosted by King Charles III to mark his unprecedented second state visit to Britain. Since then, Trump’s comments about Britain have not been so lyrical, or so kind.
And so it falls to King Charles to help restore relations. The monarch arrives Monday for a four-day state visit to mark the 250th anniversary of its independence from British rule.
While Charles will be keen to spotlight the shared history between the two nations, the visit also comes amid increasingly acrimonious relations, particularly over disagreements over Trump’s war against Iran.
The British monarch is constitutionally obligated to remain above politics, but his government is hoping that his US trip can rescue the faltering relationship.
“The King will not be having the kind of conversation with the president, or with senior senators and so on, that the prime minister would, but he’s extremely well informed, and it provides an opportunity for private conversations on some really important issues,” said Peter Westmacott, former British ambassador to the United States.
“From the United Kingdom’s point of view, we would obviously hope that those private conversations will have some impact,” he added.
What happened during Trump’s last state visit to the UK
King Charles III and Donald Trump last met at Windsor Castle in September during the US president’s second official visit to the United Kingdom, a rarity.
The days were filled with pomp and circumstance and an official meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Here were some of the highlights:
- King Charles III and Trump set off on a carriage procession through the Windsor estate, riding together in the Irish State Coach. The procession route was lined with members of the armed forces and three military bands that played the US and British national anthems. Queen Camilia and first lady Melania Trump followed behind.
- The King and Queen accompanied the Trumps to the castle’s Green Drawing Room, where a specially curated exhibition of items relating to the US were displayed.
- About 200 military musicians assembled on the castle’s East Lawn for the Beating Retreat. The ceremony concluded with a flypast of the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force’s aerobatic team, displaying trails of red, white and blue smoke.
- Trump and the King attended a snazzy state dinner in Windsor Castle’s largest room: St. George’s Hall.
- The King made a speech, hailing the historic bond between the UK and the US and praising Trump’s efforts to “find solutions” to world conflicts.
- On the second day, the US president had a bilateral meeting with Starmer at his country house in Chequers. The two leaders were joined by a host of technology CEOs.
- Not everyone was happy Trump was in town. Thousands of people made their way down the streets of London, hoisting colorful signs, flying flags and carrying banners to make their opposition to the US president known.
Where else has Charles visited as monarch?
Though this is King Charles’ first visit to the United States as monarch, it is far from his first state visit in his current position.
King Charles and Queen Camilla have participated in at least six other state visits internationally.
Here’s where else King Charles has visited during his reign:
- Germany: This was King Charles’ first state visit as monarch in late March 2023, just over six months after he became head of state. He and Camilla were initially supposed to visit France in the days before this, but the trip was called off amid planned protests over controversial pension reforms in the country.
- France: Some months later, in September 2023, the France state visit went ahead. Charles became the first British monarch to make a speech from France’s senate chamber, praising the “indispensable relationship” between the UK and its neighbor, which he said was “as firm as it has ever been.”
- Kenya: Later in the year, Charles visited Kenya. At a state banquet, the monarch told guests that “the wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret.” He also recognized the “abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence committed against Kenyans” in their struggle for statehood, adding, “there can be no excuse.”
- Australia: In October 2024, the pair visited Australia and Samoa, in Charles’ first major foreign trip after being diagnosed with cancer.
- Italy: In April 2025, the couple traveled to Italy and the Holy See, where they paid a surprise visit to the late Pope Francis, who at the time was recovering from a bout of double pneumonia.
- The Holy See: The pair’s most recent state visit was to the Holy See again last October, where Charles became the first British monarch to pray publicly with a pope in 500 years, after meeting with Pope Leo in the Sistine Chapel.
CNN’s Lauren Said-Moorhouse and Max Foster contributed to this reporting.
King Charles arrives for his first state visit to the US today. Here's what's on tap
It’s King Charles III first day of his state visit to the United States. He and Queen Camilla are expected to arrive in the DC-area this afternoon.
Here’s a look at what is on their schedule today:
- The royal couple will be welcomed to Washington by their hosts, President Trump and first lady Melania Trump. The Trumps will greet King Charles and Queen Camilla upon their arrival at the South Portico of the White House, according to an announcement from the first lady’s office over the weekend.
- The two couples will then make their way to the State Floor for a private tea in the Green Room.
- Afterward, the group will take a tour of the newly unveiled and expanded White House beehive on the South Lawn.
- Later today, they will then attend a garden party, which will bring together a cross-section of US society.
King Charles and Trump are slated to participate in much pomp and circumstance tomorrow, including a military review at the White House. The King will also give a joint address to Congress before attending a State Dinner.
CNN understands there will be minor operational adjustments to one or two engagements in response to a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Overall, the plan for the four-day visit remains as previously scheduled.
King Charles' US state visit still a go after White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting
Buckingham Palace yesterday confirmed that King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s state visit to the US will continue as planned, following a shooting on Saturday at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
“Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day, and acting on advice of Government, we can confirm the State Visit by Their Majesties will proceed as planned,” the palace said in a statement ahead of the royal couple’s trip.
Buckingham Palace said the UK and the US would be having conversations about security planning for Charles’ state visit to the US this week, while President Donald Trump acknowledged that the visit was still happening.
“I’m very confident that Their Majesties will have the very best security throughout their visit,” said the British ambassador to the United States, Christian Turner, during an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
The US president and top officials were rushed to safety after gunfire was heard outside the ballroom at the Washington Hilton Saturday evening as the press gala was underway. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the suspect “got off a few shots” before he was subdued by law enforcement near a staircase leading to the ballroom.
Sources say the suspect has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old teacher from California. He’s expected to appear in court Monday, according to the US attorney for DC.
