Touching down in the nation’s capital under a cloud of security and fierce political tension, King Charles III and Queen Camilla officially kicked off their four–day state visit on Monday.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were on hand to welcome the royal couple at the White House on Monday afternoon.
Amid West Wing construction and fresh security concerns following the terrifying shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner over the weekend, the royals were greeted by the President and First Lady, who was wearing a buttercream double-breasted wool crepe suit and Manolo snake pumps.
Trump welcomed King Charles with a handshake while the First Lady kissed the Queen on both cheeks.
The King, Queen, and the Trumps are now expected to enjoy tea in the White House’s lavish reception area in the Green Room.
Her Majesty had changed out of her pink Dior coat dress into a white chiffon dress with black beaded embroidery by Anna Valentine.
The couples then swapped, Melania being kissed on each cheek by the King, she leaning down to reach him, while President Trump and the Queen shook hands.
He then touched her lightly on the shoulder and invited her to stand next to him for a photograph.
Trump pointed to the floor and asked His Majesty to stand next to his wife.
As the cameras clicked, they made convivial small talk, Mr Trump pointing out some landmarks, including, it is believed, a tree planted by his mother, Queen Elizabeth, when she visited in 1991.
Melania beamed at King Charles before her husband invited them inside for tea and to view the White House beehives.
Arriving exactly two and a half centuries after his ancestor King George III lost the American colonies, the 77–year–old monarch steps onto US soil at a highly volatile juncture for the ‘special relationship.’
The glittering pomp of the tour – designed to honor America’s 250th anniversary of independence – is unfolding under a large security blanket following Saturday’s terrifying shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
With Trump in attendance at the event, the incident triggered an urgent 11th–hour security review of the King’s itinerary.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greet King Charles III and Queen Camilla as they arrive at the White House
Reporters stood on the White House’s South Lawn to photograph the powerful couples
King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive at Joint Base Andrews just outside of Washington, DC
The royals were greeted by US Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley after landing
For those lucky enough to secure an invitation to the April 28 White House State Banquet, the dress code is expected to be black tie – a ‘subtle but telling detail’ that suggests a slightly more relaxed atmosphere than the white–tie galas of the past
Trump listens as Britain’s King Charles speaks during the state banquet at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, on day one of Trump and Melania’s second state visit to the UK last year
Addressing the scare, Buckingham Palace released a statement saying the king was ‘greatly relieved to hear that the president, first lady and all guests have been unharmed.’
King Charles and Queen Camilla stepped off the plane for their first-ever state visit to the US as monarchs
After leaving the airport, Their Majesties arrived at and briefly retired to Blair House, the beautiful guest house adjacent to the US leader’s official residence they will be staying in for the duration of their four-day visit.
They were driven the short journey to the South Lawn by car and a heavily armed security detail, where the Trumps were waiting for them outside the iconic White Portico.
The couple had walked out moments earlier, just before the car – bearing the monarch’s standard and the American flag- pulled in.
Behind the smiles and handshakes, however, a bitter diplomatic storm is brewing.
The King’s visit comes as a furious Trump continues to slam UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his refusal to back US military operations in Iran.
In a stinging rebuke, Trump recently dismissed the British leader as ‘not Winston Churchill’ – ironically, the very WWII icon who created the term ‘special relationship.’
The President’s upset hasn’t been limited to Downing Street; he has broadened his attacks to include other NATO allies, branding them ‘cowards’ and ‘useless’ for avoiding the Iran conflict.
Yet, Trump insists this deep political freeze will not cast a shadow over his royal guests this week.
Speaking in March, he made it clear the monarch ‘has nothing to do with that,’ deliberately distancing Charles from the NATO disputes.
Instead, the President has enthusiastically praised the King, repeatedly calling him a ‘friend’ and a ‘great guy.’
Trump shakes hands with Britain’s King Charles, as Trump departs Windsor Castle during his last visit
State Banquet hosted by King Charles III and members of the Royal Family at Windsor Castle during the state visit by President Trump back in 2025
The glittering pomp of the tour – designed to honor America’s 250th anniversary of independence – is unfolding under a large security blanket following Saturday’s terrifying shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner
A flashback to June 2019, inside Winfield House in London. Melania Trump pictured in a floor length scarlet Givenchy gown to host a reciprocal dinner for the British Royal Family during their first term in office
When asked by the BBC if the state visit could help mend the fractured US–UK bond, Trump was overwhelmingly positive.
‘He’s fantastic. He’s a fantastic man. Absolutely, the answer is yes,’ the President said.
Trump also frequently boasts about his own ‘amazing’ trip to the UK last September with Melania for a second state visit, complete with guardsmen, brass bands and a lavish Windsor Castle banquet.
Now playing host, the President and First Lady have arranged a packed schedule for the King.
After the greeting, the couple’s itinerary includes a private tea, a tour of the White House beehives, a one–on–one meeting between the President and the King, a sprawling garden party and a glamorous state dinner.
A major historic milestone will take place on Tuesday when Charles addresses a joint meeting of Congress.
He will be only the second British monarch to ever do so, following in the footsteps of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who addressed lawmakers in 1991.
While Charles has visited the US 19 times, this marks his first official state visit to the country since ascending the throne in 2022.
Prime Minister Starmer stood firm in defending this royal meeting as a vital diplomatic tool. He insisted that ‘the monarchy, through the bonds that it builds, is often able to reach through the decades’ to strengthen crucial international alliances.
