King Charles and Queen Camilla meet Trumps at White House

King Charles III and Queen Camilla are greeted by Donald Trump and Melania Trump at the White House. Photograph: Chris Jackson/PAView image in fullscreenKing Charles III and Queen Camilla are greeted by Donald Trump and Melania Trump at the White House. Photograph: Chris Jackson/PAKing Charles IIIKing Charles and Queen Camilla meet Trumps at White HouseRoyals pose for photographs with president and first lady at start of state visit before heading inside for private teaDavid Smith in WashingtonMon 27 Apr 2026 18.52 EDTFirst published on Mon 27 Apr 2026 14.54 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleKing Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at the White House on Monday for a state visit in Washington, 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, greeted Charles and Camilla with handshakes. The four appeared to exchange pleasantries and posed for several photographs before heading inside the White House for a private tea.The president and first lady then took the royals on a tour of the newly expanded White House beehive on the south lawn. Later, Charles and Camilla attended a garden party at the British Embassy.View image in fullscreenKing Charles and Queen Camilla with Donald and Melania Trump in the Green Room of the White House. Photograph: Suzanne Plunkett/AFP/Getty Images“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.A gunman opened fire inside the Washington Hilton hotel, prompting Secret Service agents to rush the president from the dais. Officials believe the president and members of his administration were the likely targets and the incident prompted an urgent review of security arrangements before the king’s arrival.For Charles, the posture will be “keep calm and carry on”. Buckingham Palace said the visit would proceed after consultations with US authorities. A spokesperson said: “The King and Queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case.”View image in fullscreenKing Charles and Camilla with the president and first lady on the South Lawn. Photograph: Getty ImagesThe king will speak at a packed state dinner in the White House East Room and in a rare address to the US Congress, where some commentators expect him to dwell on the importance of culture and civilisations – an exquisitely subtle reminder that adversaries such as Iran have enduring civilisations of their own.Charles will then travel to New York to visit the September 11 memorial, alongside the New York mayor and rising political star Zohran Mamdani, before concluding in Virginia, where he will meet conservation groups, reflecting a cause he has championed for more than half a century.Some British politicians worry that the king’s soft power mission is fraught with opportunities for embarrassment, with Trump’s recent attacks on Pope Leo XIV intensifying the concerns.Relations between the…

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