King Charles III and Queen Camilla will travel to the United States this week for an official state visit, making stops in New York and Washington, where they will meet with President Trump and the king will deliver an address to Congress.
The visit was arranged to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, and planning began long before the United States and Israel launched their war with Iran in late February — a conflict that has put considerable strain on the U.S.-U.K. relationship. But Mr. Trump has long indicated a great fondness for the monarch, and the trip could go some way to smoothing over recent tensions.
The trip will last from Monday through Thursday. Here’s what to know.
Why is King Charles visiting the U.S. now?
The official visit, carried out on behalf of the British government, is intended to celebrate the connections between the two countries and acknowledge their longstanding relationship, and it is timed to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence this year.
Buckingham Palace called the visit “an opportunity to recognize the shared history of our two nations; the breadth of the economic, security and cultural relationship that has developed since then; and the deep people-to-people connections which unite communities.”
On Sunday, after a shooting on Saturday night in Washington at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, which Mr. Trump was attending, the palace said in a statement that the king had been “kept fully informed of developments.” It also said discussions would take place “throughout the day” to consider “to what degree the events of Saturday evening may or may not impact on the operational planning for the visit.”
What is the state of relations between Britain and the United States?
Relations between the two allies have seen better days. Since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, Mr. Trump has made a series of disparaging remarks about Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his government over Britain’s refusal to join the war.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly said Mr. Starmer is “no Winston Churchill,” among other relentless criticism of the British leader.
Just days before the visit, an internal Pentagon email revealed that the United States had been mulling plans to punish Britain — and Spain — for their refusals, further deepening the rift.
Why are there hopes the king’s visit could help?
Mr. Trump, when asked by a reporter from the BBC in a phone interview about whether the king’s visit could help repair the relationship between the countries, he said: “Absolutely. He’s fantastic. He’s a fantastic man. Absolutely the answer is yes.”
He added: “I know him well, I’ve known him for years. He’s a brave man, and he’s a great man. They would absolutely be a positive.”
The president has long expressed a fondness for the British royal family, and seems to relish the pomp and ceremony that a royal state visit could offer. Shortly after the visit was made official, Mr. Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social: “I look forward to spending time with the King, whom I greatly respect. It will be TERRIFIC!”
Mr. Trump visited Britain for a state visit last September and enjoyed a lavish banquet at Windsor Castle, hosted by King Charles.
What are the highlights of King Charles’s schedule?
King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to arrive on Monday in Washington, where they will be welcomed by Mr. Trump and the first lady “with a private tea,” according to Buckingham Palace. They will attend a garden party and a ceremonial military review.
On Tuesday, the king will deliver an address to a joint session of Congress, only the second time a British monarch has done so. (Queen Elizabeth II delivered a speech at the Capitol in 1991.) Later in the day, he will be hosted by Mr. Trump at a state banquet at the White House.
On Wednesday, the royals will travel to New York and commemorate the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks. They will also visit a community mentoring project and hold a literature event in the city, as well as attend a reception for the King’s Trust.
On Thursday, the king and queen will be back in the Washington area to visit Arlington National Cemetery and attend a block party in Virginia to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. The king will not be meeting with victims of the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, despite a request from Representative Ro Khanna, Democrat of California, that he hold a private audience with them.
The relationship between Mr. Epstein and the king’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, led to a spectacular fall from grace for the former prince and has cast a shadow over the monarchy. Virginia Giuffre, a victim of Mr. Epstein, said that Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor sexually assaulted her after she was trafficked to him.
Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor, who has consistently denied the allegations of sexual assault and any wrongdoing related to Mr. Epstein, who died in 2019, was arrested in February as part of an investigation into misconduct in public office.
Source:
www.nytimes.com
