Before addressing American lawmakers, Charles III and Queen Camilla will be formally welcomed to the White House by Donald and Melania Trump with 21-gun salutes and a troop review.
Charles III is diving into the core of his state visit to the United States by receiving a grand welcome at the White House and delivering a speech before Congress to try to smooth over tensions between the two countries regarding the war in Iran. On his second day in Washington, the King of England will talk about the historical ties between the United Kingdom and the United States, two countries that “have always managed to find ways to come together,” according to excerpts of his speech provided by his press service.
Before addressing American lawmakers, Charles III and Queen Camilla will be formally welcomed to the White House by Donald and Melania Trump with 21-gun salutes and a troop review.
Donald Trump and Charles III will then have a private meeting in the Oval Office, while their spouses participate in an event focused on education and artificial intelligence. They will return to the White House in the evening for a banquet. In the meantime, Charles III will address the American Congress for about twenty minutes, 250 years after the declaration of independence of the American colonies from the British crown on July 4, 1776.
Context: Charles III and Queen Camilla are on an official visit to the United States, including meetings with US officials and engagements in Washington, DC, and New York.
Fact Check: Charles III is not the current King of England, as there is no monarch by that name. The current king is Charles, Prince of Wales, who will likely be known as King Charles III when he ascends to the throne.
An article link is provided for further reading: “If there is one person capable of influencing Trump, it is the king”: Charles III in the United States, a high-risk visit to mend a strained relationship.
“Special Relationship” between the two countries
This visit marks only the second time a British sovereign has spoken at the Capitol Hill in Washington, following a speech by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991. Charles III will speak at a time of tension in the “special relationship” between the two countries, which he must characterize as “one of the greatest alliances in human history,” according to excerpts from his speech.
Despite personally liking the king, whom he called “a really great guy,” Donald Trump has not held back his criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer over London’s reservations regarding the war in Iran. The Labour leader notably refused to allow the use of British bases for the initial American strikes.
In this context, Charles III plans to emphasize that defending democratic ideals is “essential for freedom and equality” in the face of international challenges, and will highlight the various alliances, like NATO, that bind the two countries.
Wednesday, the royal couple is headed to New York
The 77-year-old king will briefly speak again at the state dinner that evening, planned in a smaller room at the White House than the vast ballroom currently under construction which President Trump favors. The royal couple began their state visit on Monday with a stay at the White House and a visit to the adjacent beehives, followed by an evening reception at the British embassy with cucumber sandwiches on the menu.
This first official visit of Charles III and Camilla to the United States comes just days after a new presumed assassination attempt on the American president. The king will reference this in his speech. On Wednesday, the royal couple will head to New York to visit the 9/11 Memorial before flying to the British territory of Bermuda in the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday.
