A Royal Occasion : King Charles and Queen Camilla’s State Visit to the United States

Last week, King Charles II and Queen Camilla conducted the first UK Royal state visit to the US since 2007, and the agenda involved everything from visits to Arlington Cemetery and addressing Congress, to charity visits in New York and National Parks.

All images sources from White House official website from public-access galleries. 

On Monday 27th April, King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in Washington DC to conduct their first ever state visit to the United States, and the first visit by the monarchy, in fact, since Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to the US in 2007. As well as being the first state visit to the U.S. of King Charles III’s reign, the visit was also marked by two significant anniversaries for the United States - 250 years of independence, and 25 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 - two anniversaries that were paid homage to throughout the trip.

(left to right) President Trump, King Charles III, The First Lady and Queen Camilla, White House Official Image.

Arriving on Monday in Washington DC, Charles and Camilla met with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the White House, where they shared an afternoon tea. Afterwards, the monarchs paid a visit to the newly expanded White House beehive. The beehive is modelled on the White House itself, handcrafted by a Virginian artisan. 

It is part of an initiative that began in 2009, and has since been revitalised by Melania Trump - the White House honey project - which has seen four new bee colonies on the grounds of the executive residence which produce their signature honey. Used by residence chefs for a range of culinary means, from desserts to sweetening tea, the White House’s signature honey is often also given as gifts from the President and First Lady. 

The bees are also important to the pollination of several of the White House gardens, and the Royal’s visit to the beehive was likely largely important to the King, who has long championed the environment and sustainability. 

Later in the day, Charles and Camilla attended a Garden Party at the British Embassy in Washington.

President Trump and King Charles III inspecting the troops, White House Official Image.

On Tuesday, a much more formal agenda - the day began with a 21 gun salute, the national anthems, and an inspection of the troops. Then, King Charles III gave an address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill, being only the second time a British monarch has given such as address, the first being his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1991. In his speech lasting nearly 30 minutes, the King’s primary focus was the value of the symbolic and historic relationship between the two nations, and he addressed a range of issues from environmental protection to the importance of NATO. 

Afterwards, the King and the President held a closed-door meeting in the Oval Office, whilst the Queen and First Lady held a separate educational event at the White House Tennis Pavilion, one that ties in with Melania Trump’s ‘Fostering the Future Together’ initiative, which focuses on young people, education and technology, with an emerging central theme of artificial intelligence and its role in education. The event on Tuesday 28th April involved the use of VR headsets and AI-enable technology to explore the culture of the United Kingdom, as well as the history of the special relationship between the UK and US, with the examination of artefacts from both the White House Collection and the National Archives. 

Queen Camilla and The First Lady at the Tennis Pavilion, White House Official Image.

That evening, the monarchs attended a state dinner, hosted by the President and First Lady.

On Wednesday, their visit moved across state lines, as they visited New York City and the 9/11 memorial at the One World Trade Centre. This visit held additional weight, as the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks approaches in September of this year, and Charles and Camilla met with the families of victims and first responders, as well as leaving a message at the memorial.

The King then briefly met with recently elected New York Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, before visiting Harlem Grown, an after-school initiative which works to create sustainable farming spaces from unused urban  areas, and focuses on the health, education and well-being of children and families in Upper Manhattan. Meanwhile, Camilla attended an event at the New York public library, celebrating literature. The Queen met with representatives from domestic violence charities and public agencies, also met with Anna Wintour and Sarah Jessica Parker, and concluded the event with the reading of an excerpt of Winnie the Pooh to local school-children. 

Their visit to New York was finalised at the Greater Together Reception, hosted at Christie’s in partnership with the King’s Trust, to celebrate both the work of King’s Trust America in the support of young people, and the impact of the UK on arts, sports, culture and community.

Thursday the 30th April marked the final day of the monarch’s state visit, beginning with a formal farewell given to the President and First Lady, before making their way to Arlington National Cemetery, where the King and Queen approached the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and laid a wreath and posy, before giving a minute’s silence. 

The solemn visit was rounded off with the meeting of service personnel, time spent at the exhibition spaces within the cemetery and a brief visit to the Canadian Cross of Sacrifice. 

Charles and Camilla then made their way to the small town of Front Royal in Virginia, where they attended a traditional American block-party to celebrate the upcoming 250-year anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The final solo visits of both the King and Queen once again brought Charles back to the importance of environmental conservation, as he visited Shenandoah National Park, joining in a swearing-in ceremony for a group of Junior Rangers and meeting with the Monacan Indian Nation, who holds much of its ancestral homeland in Western Virginia.

Meanwhile, Camilla spent time at Smitten Farm, where she learned of the work of improving safety and standards in horseracing, and equestrian welfare. 

The state visit has largely been praised for its successful appearance, particularly during a time of turbulence between America and her allies, where the King and Queen seemed able to bridge a divide of nations in their appearance abroad. 

Charles and Camilla in attendance at the state dinner held by the President and First Lady, White House Official Image.