King Charles III began his state visit to the US with a meeting with Donald Trump
King Charles III and Queen Camilla began a state visit to the US on 27 April to mark the country’s 250th anniversary of independence. On their first day in Washington, they met with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the White House, where a tea reception was held, according to CNN.
Afterwards, the British monarchs attended a reception in the garden of the British Ambassador’s residence in Washington.
The visit comes against a backdrop of strained relations between the US and the UK over the war in Iran. Donald Trump had previously criticised UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for refusing to provide military support to the US. At the same time, the British government hopes that the King’s visit will help ease tensions.
Although the King performs a ceremonial role and does not participate in political decisions, his visit is seen as an opportunity to highlight the historical ties between the two countries.
During his address to a joint session of Congress, scheduled for the following day, Charles III is expected to mention the shooting that took place during a press event in Washington the previous evening. It is anticipated that in his speech he will express solidarity and emphasise the partnership between the US and the UK.
In his speech, the King also plans to speak about the shared history of the two nations, including periods of cooperation and disagreement, as well as to highlight their shared democratic traditions.
In addition, he is expected to mention the defence, intelligence and security ties between the countries, which have been forged over decades.
British diplomatic officials note that the King’s role is to strengthen relations outside the political context and to remind people of the long-standing partnership between the nations.
According to the British Ambassador to the US, similar visits have taken place before during periods of disagreement, notably during the Suez Crisis and on the eve of the Second World War.
He also emphasised that despite differing approaches to international issues, cooperation between the countries remains, particularly in the field of defence.
