The British monarch and Queen Camilla come to a city still reeling from shooting at dinner attended by Trump
King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in Washington on Monday for a state visit in a city still rattled by a weekend shooting and a transatlantic alliance showing fresh signs of strain.
British flags could be seen lining lamp-posts outside the White House, where Donald Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, were set to host the royals for a private tea and a tour of the newly expanded White House beehive on the south lawn.
“First Lady Melania Trump has led all of the preparations for the state visit which will honour the longstanding and special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom,” Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, told reporters on Monday.
But the four-day tour, intended to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence, begins against the backdrop of a diplomatic rift over Trump’s war in Iran and a dramatic security scare at last Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
