King Charles and Queen Camilla will proceed with their four-day state visit to the US as scheduled, Buckingham Palace confirmed, following a shooting at a Washington media gala.
LONDON: Buckingham Palace confirmed on Sunday that the state visit by King Charles III to the United States would proceed as planned.
The announcement came after a shooting at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner late on Saturday, less than 48 hours before the royal couple’s scheduled arrival.
The palace initially stated that Charles was “greatly relieved” that US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and other guests were unharmed.
It later confirmed the trip would go ahead, adding: “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.”
Senior UK minister Darren Jones told British broadcasters that security teams in both countries were “working closely to ensure the security arrangements are put appropriately in place” for the state visit.
It is understood the king and queen privately reached out to the Trumps to express their sympathies with those affected by the incident and to share their gratitude to the security services who prevented further injury.
Trump has confirmed that one law enforcement officer was shot at close range but appeared not to be critically injured.
During the four-day visit, organised to honour the historic relationship between Britain and the US as America marks 250 years of independence, Charles and Camilla will visit Washington and New York.
Charles will become the first British monarch to address Congress since his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, in 1991.
The royal couple will also have tea with Trump and Melania and attend a state dinner.
The visit comes amid transatlantic tensions over the Iran war and the long shadow of the Epstein scandal, which threaten to intrude on the landmark event.
Trump has repeatedly criticised British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his opposition to the war, as well as his government’s immigration and energy policies.
The pair spoke by phone on Sunday, when Starmer “extended his best wishes… following the shocking scenes at last night’s White House Correspondents Dinner”, Downing Street said.
“He expressed his relief that the President and First Lady were safe and wished a speedy recovery to the officer injured,” it added.
They also discussed “the urgent need to get shipping moving again in the Strait of Hormuz, given the severe consequences for the global economy and cost of living for people in the UK and globally,” Starmer’s office noted.
