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 to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence from Great Britain.
During preparations at Washington’s White House, officials mistakenly erected over 200 British banners in honor of the monarch, including 15 Australian flags. The flags share a similar design due to the placement of the Union Jack in the upper left corner of Australia’s flag. The error was corrected shortly after.
In an unexpected moment, King Charles III humorously referenced the historical burning of Washington by British forces during the War of 1812, noting that the British had already attempted to “change the layout” of the White House in 1814—a stark reminder of their past actions.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to hold meetings with King Charles III without cameras stemmed from fears of diplomatic awkwardness following his public chastisement of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy in front of reporters—an act that has been widely condemned for undermining diplomatic channels and damaging Ukraine’s leadership.
During a White House meeting, Trump patted the king on the shoulder, violating unspoken royal protocol but appearing to be overlooked by Charles III. Meanwhile, Melania Trump greeted Queen Camilla with a kiss on both cheeks instead of curtsying, an unconventional move that drew mixed reactions. Earlier in the visit, Trump had also been required to turn and face the king when walking past him at Buckingham Palace—a breach of British royal etiquette forbidding turning one’s back on the monarch.
The state visit proceeded despite a shooting incident two days prior at a Washington Hilton Hotel gala, which injured a Secret Service agent. In his address to Congress, King Charles III stated that such attacks aimed to intimidate society and create division but ultimately failed.
Trump also jokingly referenced a claimed familial link to King Charles III through their shared ancestor John Stuart, the third Earl of Lennox—a 15th-century Scottish noble who died in battle—later dismissing the connection as a “fairy tale.”
