King Charles III and Queen Camilla have arrived in the US to begin their four-day state visit, with tensions still running high following Saturday’s White House shooting.
The trip, which comes as the US approaches the 250th anniversary of its independence from Britain, is aimed at celebrating the strong relationship between the two countries.
After disembarking the plane, King Charles was welcomed by the White House’s head of protocol, Monica Crowley, and the UK ambassador to the US, Sir Christian Turner.
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Charles, 77, then walked through a guard of honour as a military band played both the US and UK national anthems.
The royal couple later met US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the White House for afternoon tea.
The visit, by far the most high-profile and consequential of Charles’ reign, marks the first trip to the US by a British monarch in two decades.
While Trump is an outspoken fan of the British royal family and has described Charles as a “great man”, tensions have emerged with the British government, particularly over differing views on the Iran war.
The long-planned visit has become entangled in a political dispute between the two nations over the US-Israeli war on Iran.
However, the US president has softened his public criticism of Britain’s response to the war in recent days, ahead of the royal visit.
Britain’s ambassador Turner said the visit would underscore the shared history, sacrifice and common values between the two countries, adding the approach would be a very British one: “Keep calm, carry on.”
King Charles and Queen Camilla’s US itinerary
King Charles, who is still undergoing treatment for cancer, will address the US Congress on Tuesday, becoming only the second British monarch to do so.
The speech will be followed by a lavish state dinner at the White House.
These Washington events come as much of the US capital remains on edge following the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner shooting on Saturday.
On Wednesday, the royals will travel to New York City, where they will commemorate those who tragically lost their lives in the September 11, 2001 attacks ahead of the 25th anniversary.
Queen Camilla will also mark the centenary of children’s stories featuring Winnie the Pooh.
The trip will conclude in Virginia, where the king will meet those involved in conservation work — a nod to his half-century of environmental campaigning.
— With PA
