King Charles III and Camilla are visiting President Donald Trump from Monday as part of a historic state visit to the United States, which many hope will repair a weakening “special relationship”.
Buckingham Palace confirmed on Sunday that the state visit was set to go ahead as planned following a shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner. Gunshots were fired inside the Washington Hilton shortly after 8.30pm on Saturday night at the black tie gala, with Mr Trump and other cabinet officials being rushed to safety while guests took cover.
The suspect shot and injured one law enforcement officer before being detained near the hotel screening area, officials said in the aftermath.
A spokesperson from Buckingham Palace said: “Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day, and acting on advice of government, we can confirm the state visit by their Majesties will proceed as planned.
“The King and Queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case and are looking forward to the visit getting underway tomorrow.”
UK ambassador to the US Christian Turner confirmed on Sunday that he was “very confident that their Majesties will have the very best security throughout the visit”.
Hopes remain that the diplomatic soft power of the royal family will go a long way in rectifying relations between the US and UK after the president branded Britain’s approach to the Iran war “terrible” and repeatedly lashed out at Sir Keir Starmer – at one point describing him as “not Winston Churchill”.
The state visit marks a number of significant milestones. Not only will it be the King’s first state visit to the United States as monarch, but the event will also herald the start of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The state visit will also commemorate the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
Here is what we know about the scheduled plans for the King and Queen in the United States.
Monday
Charles and Camilla are scheduled to be greeted by Mr Trump and first lady Melania Trump at around 4.15pm local time (9pm BST) at the White House’s south portico. The heads of state will join together for a private afternoon tea in the Green Room on the state floor.
The King and Queen will visit the beehives nestled on the South Lawn near the historic building’s kitchen garden. It comes a week after the first lady announced the White House had expanded its long-running honey-making programme, including a new beehive shaped like the president’s official residence.
Later, the King and Queen will attend a garden party featuring guests who represent the connection between the US and UK.
Tuesday
The King and Queen will spend another day in DC for a day of traditional state visit activities. The president and first lady are expected to start the day with a state arrival ceremony on the south lawn of the White House.
The official greeting involves a traditional military arrival ceremony with both national anthems played by the US Marine Band, before the Presidential Salute Battery fires 72mm howitzer rounds for a 21-gun cannon salute. Per tradition, the couples would then inspect the military escort and conduct a review of the corps.
Afterwards, both heads of state are expected to proceed to the Blue Room balcony to participate in a pass in review of 300 US Service Members and 500 members of the US Armed Forces from all six military branches present at the ceremony, ITV News reports.
The King and Queen will reportedly sign the White House guest book and exchange gifts with the president and first lady.
Later, the King will participate in a bilateral meeting with Mr Trump in the Oval Office. Charles is also expected to address both houses of Congress at some point on his second day.
That evening, Mr and Ms Trump will greet the royals for the state dinner in the East Room.
Wednesday
Charles and Camilla are set to travel to New York on the third day of their state visit, where they will visit the 9/11 memorial marking the approach of the 25th anniversary of the 11 September attacks. During their visit, they will also meet with first responders and families of those who were killed that day.
As part of a visit to the New York Public Library’s permanent treasures collection, the Queen will give a specially made toy of Winnie-the-Pooh character Roo to the library during the state visit to the US to complete a set of the beloved characters in one of the institution’s collections.
The library is home to the teddy bears which belonged to Christopher Robin, son of Winnie-the-Pooh creator A A Milne, believed to have inspired the stories first published a century ago in 1926. While Winnie, Tigger, Piglet, Kanga and Eeyore are all on display, the original baby kangaroo toy, Roo, was lost in an apple orchard in the 1930s.
The Roo toy was made specifically for the visit by traditional British teddy bear makers Merrythought, who produced the original toys at the start of the 20th century.
Thursday
The royals will say farewell to the president and first lady on Thursday before heading south to Virginia for a number of community activities. Charles and Camilla are reportedly set to attend a community party marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, as well as meeting with members of indigenous communities to discuss climate change projects, according to US media.
The King will go on to visit Bermuda following the US state visit.