WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Two and a half centuries after the American colonies declared independence from Britain under King George III, his descendant arrived at the White House on Monday with and security in the spotlight.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump greeted Charles and Queen Camilla as they arrived, posing for photos and exchanging small talk before they went inside for tea in the Green Room. Afterward, the couples went down to the south grounds to see a new beehive in the shape of the White House that the .
Charles and Camilla both support beekeeping. He keeps at least three beehives at his private residence in England as part of his support for the environment and sustainability.
After the White House visit, the royal couple attended a garden party at the British Embassy.
Trump praises the king but derides Starmer
between the U.K. government and Trump over issues including the Iran war had already raised the political stakes for the British monarch’s visit.
In recent weeks, Trump has over his unwillingness to join U.S. military attacks on Iran, dismissing Britain鈥檚 leader as 鈥渘ot Winston Churchill,鈥� the World War II prime minister who coined the phrase 鈥渟pecial relationship鈥� for the U.K.-U.S. bond.
It’s between Trump and the United States鈥� NATO allies, whom he has called 鈥渃owards鈥� and 鈥渦seless鈥� for not joining action against Iran. suggested the U.S. could reassess support for the U.K.’s sovereignty over the in the south Atlantic. Britain and Argentina fought a 1982 war over the islands, also known as the Islas Malvinas.
The president insists the political chill won鈥檛 affect the royal visit. Charles 鈥渉as nothing to do with that,鈥� Trump said in March, meaning NATO.
The president has spoken in glowing terms about Charles, repeatedly referring to the monarch as his 鈥渇riend鈥� and a 鈥済reat guy.鈥�
He also continues to mention his 鈥渁mazing鈥� trip to the U.K. in September with Melania Trump for an . 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.
鈥淧resident Trump has always had great respect for King Charles, and their relationship was further strengthened by the president鈥檚 historic visit to the United Kingdom last year,鈥� White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told The Associated Press. 鈥淭he president looks forward to a special visit by Their Majesties, which will include a beautiful state dinner and multiple events throughout the week.鈥�
Trump, meanwhile, told the BBC that the king鈥檚 visit could 鈥渁bsolutely鈥� help repair the trans-Atlantic relationship.
鈥淗e鈥檚 fantastic. He鈥檚 a fantastic man. Absolutely the answer is yes,鈥� the president said.
Some called for the trip to be canceled
Kristofer Allerfeldt, a University of Exeter professor specializing in American history, said the two governments have very different objectives for the trip.
He said that for Charles, the trip is about 鈥渞einforcing long-term ties, showcasing the monarchy鈥檚 soft power and reminding the world that Britain still carries diplomatic weight.鈥�
For Trump, it鈥檚 more about 鈥渁 media event,鈥� with emphasis on the optics of a visit that resembles a meeting of 鈥渢wo gilded monarchs.鈥�
Some U.K. politicians worry that the trip is fraught with opportunities for embarrassment. Trump鈥檚 recent have heightened those concerns.
Ed Davey, leader of the U.K. centrist opposition Liberal Democrats party, earlier this month called Trump 鈥渁 dangerous and corrupt gangster鈥� and implored the government to cancel the trip.
鈥淚 really fear for what Trump might say or do while our king is forced to stand by his side,鈥� Davey said in the House of Commons. 鈥淲e cannot put His Majesty in that position.鈥�
Starmer defended the visit, saying 鈥渢he monarchy, through the bonds that it builds, is often able to reach through the decades鈥� and bolster important relationships.
Andrew and Epstein cast a shadow
Raising the stakes is the shadow of the king鈥檚 younger brother , who has been stripped of his royal title of Prince Andrew, exiled from public life and put under police investigation over his friendship with . He has denied committing any crimes.
Epstein victims have urged the king to meet with them and other sexual abuse survivors. It’s unlikely he will do so.
Charles has but this is his first state visit to the country since becoming king in 2022. His mother, , made four state visits to the U.S.
The king, who is 77 and was diagnosed in early 2024 with , will spend four days in the U.S. accompanied by Queen Camilla.
In Washington on Tuesday, the king and queen will attend a formal White House state dinner.
The royal couple will also visit the Sept. 11 memorial in New York and attend a 250th birthday block party in Virginia, where Charles will also meet Indigenous leaders involved in nature conservation 鈥� a favorite cause of the environmentalist king.
Three centuries after Britain鈥檚 kings and queens gave up any real political power, the royals remain symbols of soft power, deployed by elected governments to smooth international relationships and send messages about what the U.K. considers important.
A key moment will be the king鈥檚 speech to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday. It鈥檚 only the second time, after Queen Elizabeth II in 1991, that a U.K. monarch has addressed a joint meeting of both houses.
Elizabeth praised liberalism on that trip, spoke against the idea that 鈥減ower grows from the barrel of a gun鈥� and praised the 鈥渞ich ethnic and cultural diversity of both our societies.鈥�
The king鈥檚 treasured causes, including the environment and harmony among religious faiths, are in contrast to Trump鈥檚. He’s unlikely to accentuate differences, but Allerfeldt said that, in the monarch鈥檚 subtle way, the king could use his speech to send a message.
鈥淗e does have an unorthodox way of looking at the world, and I think maybe he can actually have something valid to say when he addresses Congress,鈥� Allerfeldt said.
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Jill Lawless reported from London.
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