King Charles III Arrives in Washington, D.C. for Four-Day State Visit With Queen Camilla

King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived in Washington, D.C. for a four-day state visit that included an arrival ceremony at the White House, a speech to the U.S. Congress, and a state dinner, as multiple outlets described.

“20 Minutes with AFP Published on Apr 29, 2026 at 2:04 PM • Updated on Apr 29, 2026 at 2:12 PM As king, he may be, but he hasn't lost his sense of humor that's typically English”

20 Minutes

CBS News said the king “presented Mr. Trump with an original bell that once hung aboard the HMS Trump,” a World War II-era submarine, and noted the bell bore an inscription that read “Trump 1944.”

20 Minutes

The Guardian focused on a different detail from the same gift, writing that Charles III revealed “a bell that hung from the conning tower of a Royal Navy submarine launched from a UK shipyard in 1944,” and that the bell’s name was “HMS Trump.”

At the White House welcome ceremony, El Mundo reported that “Up to 500 members from the six branches of the U.S. Armed Forces have been deployed to the White House grounds” and that the Presidential Salute Battery “fired 72 mm shells in a 21-gun salute.”

The arrival included the U.S. Army’s Pipes and Drums, and El Mundo said the atmosphere was marked by that gesture “underscoring the shared heritage between the two nations.”

In the ABC account of the ceremony, “casacas rojas” returned to the White House “dos siglos y medio después,” and ABC specified that the red uniforms were not British soldiers but “miembros de una unidad ceremonial del Ejército de Estados Unidos” whose uniform is inspired by “los músicos militares del Ejército Continental durante la Guerra de Independencia.”

ABC also described the sequence of honors and protocol: Trump and Melania welcomed the royals at the “Pórtico Sur,” the four shook hands, and then “subieron después al escenario,” where both national anthems played and “Los cañones acompañaron la ceremonia con una salva de 21 disparos.”

Across the visit, Charles III’s message to the United States centered on constitutional limits, alliances, and the meaning of American independence, with outlets quoting both the king and the reactions around him.

The Guardian said Charles’s remarks included a line about Magna Carta, noting that it “has been cited in at least 160 supreme court cases since 1789,” and that it supports “the principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances.”

ABC

NBC News described the speech as “remarkably frank points on subjects fraying U.S.-U.K. ties,” and quoted Michael Bociurkiw saying Charles could “politely say what needs to be said in a way that doesn’t offend.”

In the New Yorker’s account, Charles’s “biggest applause line” was his tribute to Magna Carta, and it quoted the king’s formulation that it established “the principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances.”

CBS News quoted the king’s speech to Congress directly, saying, “America's words carry weight and meaning, as they have since independence,” and it also quoted the king’s call: “to the United States of America, on your 250th birthday, let our two countries rededicate ourselves to each other in the selfless service of our peoples and of all the peoples of the world.”

The same CBS account included the king’s opening joke, quoting Oscar Wilde: “We really have everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language!”

Los Angeles Times also reported that Charles’s speech to Congress underscored “unyielding resolve” to support Ukraine and stressed “the essential role of NATO,” while NBC News said Charles included references to executive power being “subject to checks and balances” and to “the disastrously melting ice caps of the Arctic.”

The visit also played out through Trump’s public comments that mixed praise for Charles with remarks that outlets linked to tensions with Britain’s political leadership.

“King Charles III wins praise for deft handling of Trump on his US state visit King Charles III wins praise for deft handling of Trump on his US state visit LONDON (AP) — President Donald Trump sang the praises of King Charles III after the monarch’s state visit this week”

Associated Press

Los Angeles Times reported that Trump “sang the praises of King Charles III” and that he “lifted some tariffs on Scotch whisky,” while also describing the monarch’s speech as “mixing praise for his host with subtle criticism.”

The AP-style text carried by KSLM Radio said Trump praised Charles and that “Trump lifted some tariffs on Scotch whisky as a favor to the British monarch,” while also quoting Trump’s earlier criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer as “not Winston Churchill.”

In the ABC account of the White House ceremony, Trump referenced the expected speech of the king at the Capitol and said, “el descendiente directo de Jorge III habla ante el sucesor directo del tercer órgano que se reunió en Independence Hall el 4 de julio de 1776,” tying the visit to the 250th anniversary.

Fox News highlighted Trump’s “crush” anecdote about Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, quoting Trump saying, “Charles, look, young Charles. He’s so cute,” and adding, “My mother had a crush on Charles, can you believe it?” and “I wonder what she’s thinking right now.”

El Mundo described Trump’s welcome speech as moving away from criticisms and included Trump’s joke about his mother, reporting that he said “was in love with the now king Charles when she was a young princess,” and that he remembered her saying, “Charles is so handsome.”

Vanity Fair and The Guardian both referenced Trump’s reaction to Charles’s speech, with Vanity Fair quoting Trump saying, “He made a great speech,” and “I was very jealous,” and The Guardian describing Charles’s bell quip that ended with “just give us a ring.”

Several outlets tied the state visit to heightened security and referenced a shooting incident that affected the schedule and the atmosphere around Trump and the royals.

BBC reported that “President Trump and Vice-President Vance were rushed off the stage, after gunshots were heard at the event at the Washington Hilton hotel,” and it described that “Moments after shots were fired at the White House Correspondents' dinner, the US vice-president was quickly escorted off stage.”

BBC

The BBC account said surveillance video released by Donald Trump showed the suspect running past metal detectors as security agents drew their guns, and it added that “Police say a man charged security outside of the dining room and was armed with multiple weapons.”

El Mundo linked the security breach to the eve of the visit, describing “the security breach surrounding Donald Trump's security heightens tensions on the eve of King Charles III and Camilla's state visit to the United States,” and it said the Saturday botched attack against Trump “allows the monarch to frame the trip as a gesture of solidarity toward his host.”

El Mundo also described the response in operational terms, saying “Security has been substantially tightened since the Correspondents' Dinner, with multiple layers of protection, both invisible and highly visible,” and it quoted Anthony Guglielmi, spokesperson for the Secret Service, saying, “Security measures will be commensurate with the gravity and magnitude of the visit.”

While the BBC focused on the shooting and the immediate evacuation, it also reported that “King Charles and Queen Camilla will meet with President Donald Trump during a four-day state visit,” and it added a specific note that “A Buckingham Palace source confirmed the Royals will not meet with survivors of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during their state visit to the US.”

As the visit ended, outlets described the royals’ departure and the continuing diplomatic and political implications.

“Gala attire, cherry blossoms in bloom, and silverware”

BFM

BBC said the King and Queen “wrapped up their historic four-day state visit to the US on Thursday,” and it described their farewell to Donald Trump and Melania Trump at the White House before traveling to Arlington National Cemetery to pay respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

BFM

BBC reported that Charles “lay a wreath composed of red poppies,” and it said the royals then journeyed to “Front Royal,” where they participated in a block party with Virginia’s governor before Charles closed out his visit at Shenandoah National Park.

BBC also said the royals “then travelled to Arlington National Cemetery” and that Charles “then flew to Bermuda from Joint Base Andrews,” after initially touching down on “27 April.”

CNN added that on the last day the royal couple got a “formal farewell from President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump at the White House,” laid a wreath at Arlington Cemetery, and attended a block party in Virginia, before departing with their plane taking off from “Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.”

NBC News framed the trip’s end as a “quiet sense of mission accomplished,” and it quoted Michael Bociurkiw describing Charles’s role as “almost like a last resort” to “walk into the beehive without getting stung and to say what needs to be said once and for all.”

KSLM Radio and The Guardian both pointed to limits and fragility, with KSLM Radio quoting Kristofer Allerfeldt: “In the short term probably yes, in the long term probably no,” and The Guardian warning that “soft power is it is soft, and can quickly scatter like blossom on the wind.”