After spending two days in Washington, D.C., the royal couple continued their state visit to the United States in New York City on Wednesday, April 29.

For their first stop, the King and Queen commemorated the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at the National September 11 Memorial, News.Az reports, citing People.

It was the couple's first visit to the memorial, which opened in 2011. They were joined by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.There, they laid bouquets on the edge of one of the memorial’s pools to commemorate the nearly 3,000 lives lost (67 of which were British) and all those forever altered by the attacks, as well as the victims of the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing.

Attached to the flowers, according to the palace, was a handwritten card that said: “We honour the memory of all those who so tragically lost their lives on 11th September 2001, and stand in enduring solidarity with the American people in the face of such profound loss." The note was signed from "Charles R and "Camilla R," using the traditional signature for the sovereign and his spouse, with the "R" standing for "Rex" and "Regina," the Latin words for "king" and "queen."King Charles, 77, Queen Camilla, 78, also met families of victims and first responders who were involved in the rescue efforts after the attacks, as well as currently serving personnel and some of the charities that support families of victims.

Beth Hillman, the CEO of the memorial museum, said before the royal couple arrived, "We want to make sure that the family members and the loss that they suffered is at the center of that, and this is an opportunity to hold the commemoration before the 25th milestone anniversary later this year, which will be later this year, and also the 250th anniversary of our country. So it's a momentous moment. It's a momentous space that recognizes the loss that New York, the United States, the U.K. and the world suffered on that day. So Their Majesties visiting is a chance for us to elevate that around the world as we try to make sure people who are too young to remember 9/11 realize what happened that day.”The outing came hours after a palace spokesperson shared the King's reaction to a stabbing at a synagogue in London that took place on April 29: "His Majesty is being kept fully informed and is naturally deeply concerned, in particular about the impact for the Jewish community. His thoughts and prayers are with the two individuals who were injured and offers his heartfelt gratitude to those who so selflessly rushed to their aid."

The King and Queen will conclude their New York visit with more engagements, including a reception celebrating the work of The King’s Trust, a charity founded by King Charles that helps empower young people to find employment or start a business.

King Charles and Queen Camilla are on the second leg of their four-day visit to the United States. They arrived in New York City after two days spent in Washington, D.C., where they met with President Donald Trump and attended several events commemorating the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence from the United Kingdom.
When they first arrived in Washington, D.C. on Monday, April 27, they were greeted by the president and first lady Melania Trump with a private tea before attending a garden party.

On Tuesday, April 28, King Charles made history as only the second-ever British monarch to deliver an address to a joint meeting of Congress, following in his mother Queen Elizabeth's footsteps.

That evening, the King and Queen attended a state dinner at the White House hosted by the Trumps.

After their time in New York is over, King Charles and Queen Camilla will travel to Virginia to meet local residents and community organizations, and they will also attend a “block party” in a national park to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova