WASHINGTON (AP) — King Charles III will embrace some of Washington's most formal ceremonial trappings as he tries to emphasize a bond between the United Kingdom and the United States that is so strong it can withstand the political turmoil of the moment.
WATCH LIVE: King Charles III addresses joint session of Congress during official state visit
The visit comes at a challenging moment for U.S.-UK relations. U.S. President Donald Trump's up-and-down relationship with Prime Minister Keir Starmer has taken a particularly sour turn over the past several months as the president has sought to rally international support for the war in Iran.
The king, accompanied by Queen Camilla, begins his day with a meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump. The king is then scheduled to address the U.S. Congress at 3 p.m. ET, the body's first address from a British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II's in 1991. The day will end with an expectedly buzzy dinner at the White House.
Here's the latest.
Nothing gets in the way of the president's ballroom construction. Not even a visit from Britain's king and queen.
Work on the project was continuing ahead of the royal visit to the White House. Ballroom construction cranes were swinging and the sound of clangs could be heard.
In the wake of Saturday's shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, Trump has said the ballroom is needed to hold secure events. The construction, however, is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit.
Washington's finicky spring weather is on display ahead of King Charles and Queen Camilla arriving at the White House. They'll be greeted by President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on the South Lawn.
Ahead of their arrival, skies are grey with a light breeze. Drizzle and rain is possible over the next hour.
Members of the audience are shielding themselves with umbrellas to stay dry as the Marine band plays.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive to take part in the arrival ceremony of Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on April 28, 2026. Photo by Nathan Howard/ Reuters
Is the U.S. president actually a distant royal?
The U.K.-based Daily Mail reported this week that Trump and King Charles III have a shared distant ancestor that would make the two 15th cousins.
According to research conducted for the tabloid, Trump and Charles are both related to the 3rd Earl of Lennox, who is a great-grandson of King James II of Scotland.
"Wow, that's nice. I've always wanted to live in Buckingham Palace!!!" Trump posted on his social media site Tuesday morning shortly before he was to formally greet the king and Queen Camilla at the White House. "I'll talk to the King and Queen about this in a few minutes!!!"
Charles has faced some calls on Capitol Hill to meet with victims of Jeffrey Epstein while he is in the U.S. There's no indication that he will do so, even as the scandal involving the convicted sex offender has ensnared his brother, the former Prince Andrew, who was arrested in February over misconduct allegations, which he denies.
U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., urged the king over the weekend to at least address the issue during his congressional speech.
The president has spoken in glowing terms about Charles, repeatedly referring to the monarch as his "friend" and a "great guy."
He also continues to mention his "amazing" trip to the U.K. in September with Melania Trump for an unprecedented second state visit. Starmer hand-delivered the invitation from the king in the Oval Office five weeks after Trump returned to office, in a very public attempt to woo the Republican president.
The U.K. royal family laid on pomp and pageantry for the Trumps, with scarlet-clad guardsmen, brass bands and a sumptuous banquet at Windsor Castle.
"President Trump has always had great respect for King Charles, and their relationship was further strengthened by the president's historic visit to the United Kingdom last year," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told The Associated Press.
U.S., British and District of Columbia flags outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building near the White House, ahead of the arrival ceremony for Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla amid their state visit to the U.S. on April 28, 2026. Photo by Ken Cedeno/ Reuters
Trump's up-and-down relationship with Prime Minister Keir Starmer has taken a particularly sour turn over the past several months as the president has sought to rally international support for the war in Iran. Trump lamented that Starmer, who has largely resisted his overtures, was "no Churchill."
Trump has also imposed tariffs on the U.K. and warned of additional levies despite a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that has made such unilateral moves more challenging. Still, Trump threatened just last week to slap a "big tariff" on the U.K. if it doesn't scrap a digital services tax on U.S. technology companies.
Trump has more broadly challenged the traditional trans-Atlantic alliance with efforts to annex Greenland and threats to walk away from NATO. He has repeatedly imposed tariffs on and taunted Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth.
King Charles III will become the first British monarch to address the U.S. Congress since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1991. Her speech highlighted the shared history of both countries and the importance of their democratic values, themes Charles will likely reinforce on Tuesday.
Such addresses are an opportunity afforded to only the most prominent world leaders, including Pope Francis, Václav Havel and Winston Churchill. It will likely mark the most extensive public remarks Charles will deliver during a four-day visit to the U.S. that's intended to celebrate the country's 250th anniversary of independence from Britain.
The king, accompanied by Queen Camilla, will begin his day with a meeting at the White House with Trump. The Oval Office encounter offers the potential for the freewheeling, sometimes controversial meetings with foreign leaders that have become routine during Trump's second term.
Given the expressly apolitical nature of the British monarch and Trump's fondness for the royal family, the likelihood of an awkward meeting may be reduced.
Trump will host Charles on Tuesday evening for a state banquet at the White House.
此内容由惯性聚合(RSS阅读器)自动聚合整理，仅供阅读参考。 原文来自 — 版权归原作者所有。