WASHINGTON (TNND) — King Charles III and Queen Camilla are wrapping up their four-day state visit to the U.S. on Thursday with a farewell ceremony at the White House and a short trip to Virginia for a celebratory block party.
The royal visit commemorates the 250th anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence from British rule and comes at a time of tension between Britain and the U.S., as President Donald Trump has previously criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over support for the war on Iran.
Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in Washington on Monday, where they had tea with Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. On Tuesday, Charles met with Trump in a closed-door Oval Office meeting ahead of delivering a joint address to Congress, followed by a formal state dinner at the White House.
The address marked the centerpiece of the visit, with Charles touching on NATO, climate change and global conflicts testing the strength of the longstanding U.S.-U.K. relationship.
“Our nations may be separated by an ocean, but we are united by values that have endured for generations,” Charles told lawmakers, pointing to shared commitments to democracy and global security.
Lawmakers from both parties gave the king multiple standing ovations during his address, underscoring broad support for the U.S.-U.K. alliance despite political tensions.
On Wednesday, the monarchs participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial and met with first responders and victims’ families ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. They later attended a reception for the King’s Trust, a charity Charles founded in 1976.
Before departing, the king is expected to lay a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery.
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The trip marks Charles’s first official visit to the United States as monarch. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, made four state visits and addressed Congress in 1991.
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