King Charles III (left) and US president Donald Trump at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England, on September 18, 2025. AARON CHOWN/VIA REUTERS
Following the arrest of a suspect who opened fire at the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner held in Washington on Saturday, April 25, attended by US President Donald Trump and several senior administration officials, Buckingham Palace spent part of Sunday reviewing the security arrangements for King Charles III and Queen Camilla's trip to the United States. The royal couple is due to arrive in the US capital on Monday, April 27, for a four-day visit officially marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
The monarch and his wife are scheduled to be welcomed by Donald and Melania Trump for tea on Monday evening. On Tuesday, the king is to address Congress, followed by a state dinner at the White House. On Wednesday, Charles III and Camilla are expected in New York, and their trip will conclude on Thursday with a visit to a national park in Virginia. On Sunday evening, Buckingham Palace announced that the state visit would go ahead as planned.
Although security has been heightened, this trip – planned for months in coordination with Downing Street and the Foreign Office – remains high-risk for Charles III, who faces the difficult task of salvaging what remains of the "special relationship" between the US and the United Kingdom. In 2025, Prime Minister Keir Starmer celebrated winning over Trump through lavish praise and by inviting him for a state visit to the UK, which took place in September 2025. In May of that year, London had also been the first capital to secure a deal to ease the tariffs Trump imposed on the rest of the world.
