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• Happening today: King Charles and Queen Camilla are visiting the 9/11 memorial in New York on the third day of their state visit to the United States. They will meet with first responders before Charles visits a community initiative in Harlem and Camilla attends a literary event.
• State dinner at the White House: Last night, the British royals were honored at a state dinner hosted by President Donald Trump and first lady Melania 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 Charles’ address to a joint meeting of Congress, 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.
This is Charles and Camilla’s first visit to the 9/11 memorial
King Charles and Queen Camilla are kicking off their engagements in New York today with a visit to the 9/11 memorial in Lower Manhattan in recognition of the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
After two jam-packed days of soft power diplomacy in Washington, the King’s itinerary starts to shift to connecting with the American people today, with the events designed to emphasize the strong economic and cultural ties between Brits and Americans.
The royal couple laid a bouquet of flowers on the edge of one of the memorial’s pools in memory of the victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks, as well as those killed in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
They then paused for a moment of reflection.
King Charles' visit to 9/11 memorial continues legacy of royal solidarity with US
King Charles III will start the third day of his state visit to the United States by commemorating victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York.
The terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center killed nearly 2,800 people — 67 of whom were British.
The 9/11 attacks rattled world leaders, including the monarch at the time, Queen Elizabeth II. She sent a message of condolence to President George W. Bush expressing her “disbelief and total shock,” CNN reported in 2001.
Queen Elizabeth visited the site of the World Trade Center in 2010.
During that trip, she officially opened what is now named the Queen Elizabeth II September 11th Garden, it said on its website. The space in lower Manhattan honors the memory of the British citizens who died, according to NYC Parks.
Now, nearly 25 years later, the King is still communicating a message of allyship between the US and UK. In his speech to a joint session of Congress yesterday, King Charles praised NATO and the role the defense alliance has played in protecting their citizens and interests.
He specifically mentioned 9/11 being the first time NATO invoked its Article 5, which says an attack on any one of the alliance’s members is an attack on all.
President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized NATO for not getting involved in the conflict with Iran and has threatened to withdraw.
Today is also about recalling how the UK supported the US response to the attacks. The King yesterday emphasized the UK’s involvement in the war in Afghanistan after 9/11; Trump previously said UK troops held back during the war, a comment that caused uproar in the UK and triggered calls for the royal visit to be canceled.
CNN’s Ivana Kottasová contributed reporting to this post.
“That would be chic!” Macron jests after King jokes Brits spared US from speaking French
France’s President Emmanuel Macron responded in jest to King Charles’ state dinner joke about the British sparing Americans from speaking French.
During his remarks at last night’s White House state dinner, King Charles riffed on President Donald Trump’s recent comment that “if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German.” The King added with a joke: “Dare I say, if it weren’t for us, you’d be speaking French.”
Macron reacted to moment on X and posted: “That would be chic!”
The Élysée Palace also responded, adding, “If ever… See you at the next Francophonie summit!”
Road closures and delays expected in NYC due to royal visit, NYPD says
People traveling in Manhattan today might encounter more than the usual New York traffic.
The New York Police Department said it expects delays and road closures throughout the borough due to King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s visit this afternoon.
The royals plan to first attend an event at the 9/11 Memorial downtown and King Charles will go to a community initative in Harlem.
“If you’re travelling, allow for extra time and use public transportation when possible,” the NYPD said in a post on X.
Zelensky thanks King Charles for voicing support of Ukraine in address to US Congress
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked King Charles for mentioning Ukraine and the support it needs to defend itself from Russia during yesterday’s address to the US Congress.
The King told Congress that the same “unyielding resolve” that Americans and Brits showed “through two World Wars, the Cold War, Afghanistan and moments that have defined our shared security” is “needed for the defense of Ukraine and her most courageous people in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace.”
The mention of Ukraine got a large standing ovation from many in the chamber.
Remember: President Donald Trump has stopped most military aid to Kyiv since returning to the White House in January 2025.
Why Trump revealing King Charles’ views on Iran breaks with usual protocol
President Donald Trump’s comments suggesting King Charles support the US position that Iran should never have a nuclear weapon leave the British monarch in an awkward position.
“Charles agrees with me even more than I do. We’re never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said during a state dinner at the White House last night.
As a constitutional monarch, Charles is bound to remain above politics, able only to represent the UK rather than speak for its government. Revealing his apparent position on a foreign policy matter puts the King in a tricky spot.
Given this was likely a private conversation, the palace will never confirm what the King’s position is on the matter, but the fact that a seemingly confidential conversation has been revealed in public is another protocol problem.
The longstanding convention is that you never share a conversation had with the monarch. But Charles is not Trump’s monarch — so there is only a hope, rather than an expectation, that he would abide by the custom.
The King went into this trip with the experience that what was said in private may not stay private. On a previous visit to the UK, Trump shared apparent comments from the then-Prince Charles about the climate. The US president also shared some of a conversation he had with the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The King's speech featured a subtle but striking warning to America
In a new age of revolt, it took a king to remind America of its republican values: the rule of law, democracy and the power of its international example.
King Charles III chooses his words with precision — as did his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Royal meaning must often be inferred. But by regal standards, his speech to a joint meeting of Congress on Tuesday was strikingly direct.
Charles neither rebuked nor criticized the Trump administration.
But the monarch implicitly frowned on America’s current political direction and defended pillars of Western democracy: domestic checks and balances, alliances and interfaith tolerance.
Charles further called for the strong defense of Ukraine. And “nature,” he said, must be protected — in a coded call for tackling climate change, which President Donald Trump has called a “con job.”
And the King stressed that friends can disagree without fracturing forever bonds, an occluded reference to the “special relationship,” which has been battered by the UK’s refusal to join the Iran war.
Buckingham Palace downplays Trump apparently revealing King Charles’ views on Iran
President Donald Trump suggested King Charles III agreed with his stance on Iran during a state dinner, raising questions about royal neutrality and the convention of keeping conversations with the monarch private. CNN’s Salma Abdelaziz explains why that put the British monarch in an awkward position.
Buckingham Palace has sought to downplay President Donald Trump apparently revealing King Charles’ views on Iran, emphasizing that they align with the British government’s “long-standing and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation.”
Trump said during yesterday’s state dinner that Charles agreed Iran should never have a nuclear weapon.
British monarchs are constitutionally bound to remain above politics and typically refrain from expressing political opinions in public. Anything the monarch shares in private conversations is also discouraged from being revealed publicly, according to longstanding royal convention.
But the King embarked on this trip knowing that things said in private may become public since Trump shared apparent comments from him about the climate on a previous visit to the UK.
And Charles’ trip, while officially outside the realm of politics, has dealt with geopolitical matters.
The British government have also kept a watchful eye on such a crucial diplomatic event - the country’s foreign minister Yvette Cooper is traveling with him and reportedly nodded along as Trump mentioned Charles’ views on Iran.
Revisit the key moments from King Charles' address to Congress
King Charles addressed a joint meeting of Congress on Monday, where the British monarch pushed back on several issues that the US and UK have sparred over in recent months. It was the second time a British monarch had done so.
Here’s a recap of what he said:
- Charles began his address to Congress by referencing Saturday’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, saying such such violent acts “will never succeed.” He express solidarity with the US. “We stand united in our commitment to uphold democracy, to protect all our people from harm, and to salute the courage of those who daily risk their lives in the service of our countries.”
- In his opening remarks, he remembered his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who was the last monarch to address the US Congress.
- Charles used a portion of the speech to praise NATO and the role the defence alliance has played in protecting their citizens and interests.
- The mention of Ukraine and the support it needs to defend itself from Russia’s unprovoked aggression were another part of the King’s messages to President Donald Trump, who has stopped most military aid to Kyiv since returning to the White House in January 2025.
- The King took a moment to quote Trump in his speech, reminding the Congress that it was the US leader himself who praised the friendship between the two nations – just months before vilifying the UK and its government for not providing significant military assistance for the war in Iran.
- The deep relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States is one of “reconciliation, renewable and remarkable partnership,” Charles said, adding he hopes it will continue based on mutual beliefs.
- Charles concluded his address to Congress by reminding lawmakers that the United States’ influence carries “weight and meaning.”
CNN’s Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Christian Edwards, Ivana Kottasová, Manu Raju, Elise Hammond and Maureen Chowdhury contributed reporting to this post.
What King Charles is doing in New York today
Welcome back to our coverage.
King Charles III will be in New York today, the third day of his state visit to the United States.
Yesterday was a flurry of activity for the British monarch. He had a bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump, gave a speech to a joint meeting of Congress, and later in the evening, joined a state dinner.
Here’s what he’s expected to do in the Big Apple today:
- This afternoon, King Charles and Queen Camilla will attend a 9/11 Memorial event in New York.
- He will also go to Harlem to visit an urban farm project for kids. King Charles has been an active advocate on the issues of climate change and environmental sustainability.
- Queen Camilla will attend a literary engagement while she is in the city.
- Later, Charles will go to a US-UK trade and business event before attending a reception and heading back to Washington, DC.
The royal couple heads out of the US tomorrow, but not before saying a formal goodbye to Trump and attending a block party for America’s 250th anniversary in Virginia.
