King Charles III and Queen Camilla to visit the United States at the end of April.
- The king and queen’s first visit to the United States will take place at the end of April.
- Amid tensions between Washington and London, this visit is causing controversy.
- A big fan of the royal family, Donald Trump expressed excitement to see the king in mid-March.
The king and queen of England will make a state visit to the United States at the end of April, Buckingham Palace announced on Tuesday, March 31. This announcement comes during the conflict in the Middle East and a period of tensions between Washington and London. Their program will “celebrate the historical ties and current bilateral relations between the UK and the US, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of American independence,” according to a statement.
The dates of this visit, the first for Charles III, will be announced later, the palace specified. The king and queen will then visit Bermuda, marking the monarch’s first visit to a UK overseas territory since accession to the throne in September 2022.
Trump, a fan of the British royal family
London and Washington, linked by 250 years of history, have forged a “special relationship” characterized by very close diplomatic, military, and economic ties. During her reign, Queen Elizabeth II was received on four occasions for state visits to the United States, notably in 1976 to celebrate the bicentennial of American independence and in 1991, with a historic address to the US Congress.
Known for his admiration of the royal family, Donald Trump expressed his eagerness to see the king at the White House in mid-March. The American president himself was received for a state visit to the UK for the second time in September, with all the royal pomp, from the carriage procession to the sumptuous banquet at Windsor Castle. According to the US ambassador to London, Warren Stephens, the President of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, proposed that Charles III deliver a speech before both houses of Congress.
Strained relations between London and Washington
This visit to the United States is announced amidst the conflict in the Middle East, triggered on February 28 by American-Israeli strikes against Iran, with global economic consequences. Donald Trump has not spared Prime Minister Keir Starmer since the beginning of the conflict, accusing the British leader of not sufficiently supporting his great American ally.
“This is not Winston Churchill we are dealing with,” he sharply remarked in early March, expressing his displeasure with London, which initially refused to let the US use its military bases. The Labour leader assured that despite these statements, the “special relationship” with Washington was “in the works.” His government, in power since July 2024, has carefully managed its relations with the Trump administration, boasting of securing better treatment than many other countries, especially in tariff negotiations.
Fear of an “embarrassing” situation
According to a YouGov survey published on Thursday, nearly half of the British population (49%) is against this visit. Several British parliamentarians also oppose it. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey stated that this honor “should not be granted to someone who insults and harms our country in a repeated manner.”
Emily Thornberry, president of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, also deemed it “safer to postpone” the visit, fearing that Charles and Camilla might find themselves in an “embarrassing” situation. Maintaining strict political neutrality, Charles III has not publicly commented on the US President’s desires to make Canada the 51st American state, whose head of state is the king. This did not prevent him from defending the sovereignty of that country during a highly symbolic visit in May 2025.
At 77 years old, King Charles has faced several major crises in his over three-year reign. He was diagnosed with cancer in February 2024, for which he is still undergoing treatment. He is also dealing with the repercussions of the Jeffrey Epstein affair, which led to the arrest of his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in February on suspicion of passing confidential information to the American pedo-criminal and financier in 2019.
