King Charles III arrived at the White House on Monday for his first state visit to the United States as monarch, as tensions between Washington and London over the Iran war cast a shadow over a trip meant to celebrate 250 years of US independence.
US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greeted Charles and Queen Camilla on arrival before the two couples went inside for tea in the Green Room.
They later toured the south grounds to see a White House-shaped beehive Melania Trump had installed the previous week — a detail chosen with the royal couple in mind.
King Charles keeps several beehives at his private residence in England. The royals then attended a garden party at the British Embassy.
The trip represents King Charles' first state visit to the US since becoming king in 2022, although he has made 19 previous trips to the country. Queen Elizabeth II made four state visits to the US during her reign.
Trump praises King Charles but derides Starmer
The visit comes as relations between Washington and London have grown visibly strained.
Trump has publicly derided Prime Minister Keir Starmer for refusing to join US military action against Iran, dismissing him as "not Winston Churchill" — a pointed reference to the wartime prime minister who popularised the phrase "special relationship" to describe the bond between the two countries.
Trump has also called NATO allies who declined to participate in the Iran campaign "cowards" and "useless".
Last week, a leaked Pentagon email suggested the US could reassess support for the UK's sovereignty over the Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic.
While his criticism of Starmer has continued, Trump has heaped praise on King Charles. In September, the Trumps were hosted for an unprecedented second UK state visit, filled with pomp and pageantry, including scarlet-clad guardsmen, brass bands and a 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 said ahead of the royal couple's state visit.
“The president looks forward to a special visit by Their Majesties, which will include a beautiful state dinner and multiple events throughout the week.” Kelly said.
Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein cast shadow on visit
Even as the Iran war raises the political stakes for the British monarch’s visit, there remains another issue - the Epstein files.
Looming large over King Charles' visit is the shadow of his younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who has been stripped of his royal title, exiled from public life and put under police investigation over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Mountbatten-Windsor has denied committing any crimes but Epstein victims have urged the British king to meet with them and other sexual abuse survivors. It is not yet known whether this will form part of the state visit.
In Washington on Tuesday, the British royals will attend a formal White House state dinner and will also visit the 11 September memorial in New York before attending a 250th birthday block party in Virginia, where King Charles will also meet Indigenous leaders involved in nature conservation — an important cause for the monarch.
Three centuries after Britain’s kings and queens gave up any real political power, the royals remain symbols of soft power, deployed by elected governments to smooth international relations and convey what the UK considers important.
A key moment will be the king’s speech to the US Congress on Tuesday. The speech will be the second time, after Queen Elizabeth II in 1991, that a UK monarch addresses a joint meeting of both houses.
