King Charles reported that on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, US President Donald Trump and Princess Catherine of Wales will attend the State Dinner for the US President and First Lady Melania Trump at Windsor Castle in Berkshire.
Aaron Chown | via Reuters
Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s state visit to the United States, which begins Monday, comes at a time of heightened domestic and geopolitical tensions for Washington and London.
The visit comes just two days after the shocking shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday. Security guards restrained US President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and senior US government officials from harming them as the suspected gunman tried to enter a hall at the Washington Hilton Hotel where officials and journalists were gathered.
The suspected gunman, identified as 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen, was arrested by security guards and is expected to be formally arraigned in a Washington court on Monday.
Despite safety concerns, it was decided over the weekend that the Royals’ four-day visit would go ahead as scheduled. Buckingham Palace said there would be some changes to the schedule, but gave no further details.
“Following a day of consultations on both sides of the Atlantic and acting on government advice, we can confirm that Their Majesties’ state visit will go ahead as planned,” the palace said in a statement on Sunday.
It added: “The King and Queen would like to express their huge gratitude to everyone who has worked swiftly to ensure this situation remains the same and look forward to the start of their visit tomorrow.”
President Trump said on CBS News’ 60 Minutes on Sunday that the royal couple will be safe during their visit. “I think that’s great. He’ll be very safe,” he said in a broadcast interview, adding, “The White House grounds are really safe.”
The king and queen arrived in Washington on Monday afternoon, where they will be greeted by President Trump and the first lady, and then attend a garden party that will include guests representing the bilateral relationship.
Afterwards, a formal ceremony to welcome the royal couple will be held at the White House, followed by a viewing ceremony. King Charles is scheduled to meet privately with the president and then address both houses of parliament, making it the second time a British monarch has addressed a joint session of Parliament since Queen Elizabeth II addressed the Houses of Parliament during a state visit to the United States in 1991. Prince Charles and Camilla are scheduled to return to the White House to attend a state dinner hosted by Trump and his wife.
The royal couple will then visit New York and Virginia to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Difficult times for a “special relationship”
Following Saturday’s attack, the Royals reportedly contacted President Trump and his wife to express their sympathies. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also told X on Sunday that it was a “huge relief” that the president and his wife were safe.
President Trump told CBS News’ 60 Minutes that he was “not worried” during the incident, but his wife, who was visibly shocked by the footage of the moment secret agents forced the presidential couple out of the room, said the incident had left her “pretty traumatized.”
The visit comes at a difficult diplomatic time for the United States and Britain, one of its oldest and closest allies, as the Iran war continues. The conflict has caused tensions between Washington and London, with the British government refusing to be “drawn into” the war.
President Trump criticized Britain’s Starmer and warned that the United States would not forget the perceived slights of its European allies. Reuters reported last week that the United States may reconsider its position on the issue of British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
British King Charles III (center) and U.S. President Donald Trump (R) speak with Coldstream Guards as they inspect the guard of honor during a ceremonial welcome at the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle on September 17, 2025, in Windsor.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images
The British government will be hoping that the royal couple’s visit will go a long way in repairing their damaged relationship with President Trump, who is known to be a big fan of the king. President Trump is known to be an Anglophile, having clearly enjoyed receiving the best of British hospitality during two state visits to the country in recent years.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement earlier this month: “This visit will be an opportunity to recognize our countries’ shared history, the breadth of economic, security and cultural ties that have developed since then, and the deep people-to-people ties that bind our communities together.”
