King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in Washington, DC, for their first official state visit to the United States on Monday – and the royal pair have a busy four days ahead of them.
After touching down in the US capital to celebrate the nation’s upcoming 250th birthday, Charles and Camilla will reportedly meet with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a private tea, according to Fox News.
The king and queen will then attend a White House ceremony followed by a state dinner hosted by the president and first lady, per the outlet.
Charles, 77, is also expected to address Congress during his and Camilla’s visit to Washington, marking just the second time in history that a British monarch has done so, following Queen Elizabeth’s famous address in 1991.
Although the royal pair have visited the US several times before, this trip marks their first visit since Charles became king upon his mother’s death at 96 in September 2022.
President Trump said he was looking forward to hosting Charles and Camilla during a chat with Fox News on Sunday.
“King Charles is coming, and he’s a great guy, and we look forward to it,” the 79-year-old leader shared. “He’s really a fantastic person and a tremendous representative.”
The president continued, “He’s a friend of mine for a long time. So he’s coming, and we’re going to have a great time. And he represents his nation like nobody else can do.”
Meanwhile, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed that the king and queen would still make their four-day state visit to the US in the wake of the shocking shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night.
“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 spokesperson announced, per Sky News.
“The King and Queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case and are looking forward to the visit getting underway tomorrow,” they added.
The royal pair will reportedly honor the 2,977 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks ahead of the tragedy’s upcoming 25th anniversary, as well as meet with first responders and some of the victims’ families.
While Charles is scheduled to visit an organization focused on mentoring kids through sustainable urban farming projects while in the Big Apple, Camilla will reportedly attend an event celebrating both the 100th anniversary of Winnie-the-Pooh and literature in general.
Charles and Camilla will conclude their whirlwind four-day state visit in Virginia on Thursday.
Although the royal pair will attend a community block party to commemorate America’s 250th birthday, they will reportedly split up at some point so Charles can visit a national park and Camilla can attend an event spotlighting horse racing in the US.
But Charles is not expected to meet with his estranged son, Prince Harry, during his visit across the pond.
“When you’re talking about a state visit, every minute is accounted for – especially when it’s the king traveling as the invited guest of a head of state,” an insider told People ahead of the monarch’s trip.
“Harry knows how things are and wouldn’t ask for that either under these circumstances,” they added.
