What to know about King Charles' visit to D.C.King Charles and Queen Camilla are heading to the U.S. Capitol ahead of the king's address to a joint meeting of Congress at 3 p.m., following meetings at the White House with President Trump and first lady Melania Trump. The royals were greeted at the White House with a formal state arrival ceremony welcoming them to the capital, complete with a military flyover and cannon salute. Mr. Trump cast the visit in both personal and historical terms, noting his mother's Scottish ancestry and the long relationship between the U.S. and U.K.Charles' address to lawmakers is only the second time in history a British monarch has delivered a speech to Congress. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, became the first to do so when she addressed the body in 1991.The king and queen are in the U.S. tomark the 250th anniversaryof the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Mr. Trump said that "no tribute could be more appropriate" than their visit. Trump's Cabinet arrives in House chamber
Members of Mr. Trump's Cabinet entered the House chamber and took their seats. Those attending include CIA Director John Ratciffe, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Johnson calls House to order, Vance enters the chamber
House Speaker Mike Johnson called the House to order shortly before 2:40 p.m. ahead of Vice President JD Vance's arrival in the chamber.
Vance entered followed by senators.
Lawmakers and guests begin filtering into House chamber ahead of king's speech
Members of Congress have begun arriving in the House chamber for the king's speech at 3 p.m.
Certain seats on the Republican side of the aisle are marked "reserved" for British dignitaries and Embassy officials, who were escorted into the chamber and took their places.
The galleries above the chamber have begun to fill up with guests as well.
House Speaker Mike Johnson greets Charles at Capitol
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, greeted the king at the U.S. Capitol, and the two took part in a photo opportunity before meeting privately.
Trump and King Charles exchange gifts
In keeping with tradition, the king and the president and queen and first lady exchanged gifts.
The president gave the king a custom facsimile of a letter written from John Adams to John Jay in 1785, the White House said. In the letter, Adams describes King George III receiving Adams as the first U.S. ambassador to Great Britain. Although the meeting was accompanied by pomp and circumstance, the White House noted that Adams described a strong undercurrent of emotion as the two met as statesmen, rather than as king and subject.
The king gave the president a framed facsimile of the 1879 design plans for the Resolute Desk, the White House said. The Resolute Desk was constructed from the timber of the British exploration ship the H.M.S. Resolute. The ship was recovered and refitted by the U.S. before it was sent back to England and presented to Queen Victoria in 1856 as a goodwill gesture.
The originals of those plans are held by the National Maritime Museum in London.
The first lady gave the queen six Tiffany's sterling silver teaspoons and White House honey jars, the White House said. Each teaspoon is engraved with the queen's cypher.
The queen gave the first lady British jewelry from jewelry designer Fiona Rae.
King and queen depart White House for Capitol
King Charles and Queen Camilla are leaving the White House for the short trip to the Capitol, where the king will address lawmakers later this afternoon. They're expected back at the White House at 7 p.m. for the state dinner.
The president spoke briefly after the royals departed.
"It was a really good meeting. He's a fantastic person. They're incredible people and it's a real honor," he said.
King and Trump enter Oval Office for bilateral meeting
After a stroll down a red carpet, the king and president entered the Oval Office at 11:57 a.m. The first lady and the queen entered after them.
The president and king are expected to have a bilateral meeting, while the queen and first lady eventually head to a different area to meet with students.
Trump says he'll watch king's speech remotely; ceremony ends with F-35 flyover
The president said he would like to watch the king's speech to Congress in person, but that would go against "protocol."
"He's going to be addressing Congress and I'm going to be watching," Mr. Trump said. "I was thinking of going but they said, 'I don't know. That might be a step too far.' I would love to go. It's not supposed to be protocol, but I would love to be with you."
"But there, the direct descendant of King George III will speak to the direct successor of the very body that gathered in Independence Hall on July 4, 1776," he continued. "If John Adams and George Washington or the king's fifth great-grandfather could see that sight, they might be absolutely shocked. But probably only for a moment. Surely, they would be delighted that the wounds of war healed into the most cherished friendship."
The king did not deliver remarks at the arrival ceremony.
After Mr. Trump concluded his speech, the Trumps and the royals ascended the exterior steps of the White House. From there, they observed a military procession and a flyover of four F-35 fighter jets that screamed overhead. They then entered the White House for closed-press meetings.
Trump says he hopes U.S.-U.K. relationship will always be "special"
In his remarks on the South Lawn, the president made reference to the "special relationship" the two countries have enjoyed for decades.
He talked about how, more than 80 years ago, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin Roosevelt "famously" met on a ship to outline the vision for the free world after World War II.
"That understanding of our nation's unique bond and role in history is the essence of our special relationship," he said. "And we hope it will always remain that way."
The ship where the two world leaders met was called "The Prince of Wales," the president said, a title Charles held longer than any other person in British history.
The president also mentioned his late mother "loved" the royal family, and joked that she had a "crush" on Charles. "I also remember her saying, very clearly, 'Charles, look, young Charles, he's so cute.'"
Trump says "no tribute could be more appropriate" to begin 250th anniversary celebrations
Despite the seeming irony about starting the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations with a state visit from the British monarchs, the president said "no tribute could be more appropriate."
The principles and character Americans hold dear were drawn from centuries before on the other side of the Atlantic, he said in his remarks from the White House South Lawn.
"Long before Americans had a nation or a Constitution, we first had a culture, a character and a creed," he said. "Before we ever proclaimed our independence, Americans carried within us the rarest of gifts — moral courage, and it came from a small but mighty kingdom from across the sea."
The president opened his remarks by saying, "What a beautiful British day this is. And it really is," a reference to the rainy weather in the capital.
Here's what the first lady is wearing for the royal visit
The first lady and queen are both dressed in off-white outfits.
According to the White House, the white silk and wool jacket and skirt the first lady is wearing are a part of the Ralph Lauren Collection. Her straw hat is designed by Eric Javits. She's wearing matte snake pumps by Manolo Blahnik.
Royals and Trumps observe ceremonial cannon salute
Just before 11 a.m., after the royals and the president and first lady took the South Lawn stage, they were greeted with a ceremonial cannon salute.
As the "Star Spangled Banner" played, the first lady placed her hand over her heart and the president held a salute, while the king and queen stood with their arms at their sides.
Trump, first lady greet Charles and Camilla for formal arrival ceremony
The president and first lady walked to the driveway on the White House South Lawn ahead of the arrival of the king and queen. At 10:53 a.m., against the backdrop of British and American flags adorning the White House grounds, the king and queen's car arrived.
Reporters were positioned far away from the royals, with their line of sight blocked by a stage, so it was difficult to see their interactions as they greeted the president and first lady.
As a military band played, the president and the first lady guided the monarchs to a reception line of Trump Cabinet officials before taking their places on a raised platform for the formal ceremony. The reception line included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and others.
Members of Congress, governors and business leaders present for arrival
Members of Congress and business leaders are among the many onlookers gathered on a rainy South Lawn of the White House to watch the arrival of the king and queen.
A photojournalist spotted Apple's Tim Cook and Nvidia's Jensen Huang, the White House press pool said. CBS News spotted Republican Rep. Steve Scalise, Republican Rep. Brian Mast and Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz. Ohio's Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster are also in the crowd.
Trump highlights story claiming he's distantly related to Charles
Shortly before the king's arrival, the presidentposted imageson Truth Social from aDaily Mail columnclaiming a genealogist had traced the president's lineage back to the king's, and the two are distant cousins.
"Revealed: How the Mail traced Trump's family tree and found out he's the king's cousin!" the piece's headline reads.
"Wow, that's nice. I've always wanted to live in Buckingham Palace!!!" Mr. Trump wrote. "I'll talk to the King and Queen about this in a few minutes!!!"
The king's schedule at the White House and on Capitol Hill
The king, queen, president and first lady have a full schedule Tuesday, beginning with a greeting on the White House's South Portico at 10:35 a.m. This will be a more grand and formal welcome than Monday's greeting.
The pre-ceremony program will feature a U.S. military drum and bugle corps performance, and over 200 performers in total, the White House says. The U.S. Space Force, Marines and other military branches will participate in the arrival.
The king and queen will be welcomed with the song "Jubilant Fanfare" upon their arrival.
At 11:10 a.m., the Trumps and the royals will exchange gifts behind closed doors in the White House's Blue Room. At 11:40 a.m., the president and king will hold a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, also behind closed doors. It's not clear how long the bilateral meeting will last. While they meet, the first lady and the queen will join students on the White House grounds to explore the history of the U.S. and the U.K.
The king will leave the White House in the afternoon and head to Capitol Hill, where he will speak at 3 p.m. to a joint meeting of Congress.
The king and queen will return to the White House again at 7 p.m. for a tour and document viewing in the White House Residence. The state dinner in honor of the king and queen is slated to begin at 8:05 p.m. in the East Room, although guests will arrive sooner.
What to expect from the king's address to Congress
Since the king's visit is meant to mark the United States' 250th anniversary, Charles is likely to speak about the relationship between the two countries, particularly during and after World War II. The king, who plays a different role in the U.K. than does the prime minister and generally isn't involved in day-to-day governing, may rely greatly on history to inform his speech.
"I expect the speech to be at a rather high-level and my expectation is that it will be somewhat historical — acknowledging the United States came from a revolution against his country, but then how we've sort of overcome that," said Max Bergmann, director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The question will be, Bergmann said, whether the king hints at issues like human rights and freedoms that the U.S. and U.K. supported together after World War II, and whether the king hints at anything that could be interpreted as a criticism of the current administration.
What to expect from the king's meeting with Trump
President Trump's meeting with the king is expected to take place behind closed doors Tuesday morning, away from the eyes of reporters. They may discuss the U.S.'s war with Iran and other international issues, although Bergmannsaidhis "baseline sense is this is going to be kind of a feel-good trip" focused on the historical ties of the two nations.
Still, Charles has a delicate role to play. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Mr. Trump's relationship has been strained amid the war with Iran. Mr. Trump has also criticized immigration policy under Starmer.
"He's got some fine thread and he has to thread it through a very very fine needle," Bergmann said of the king.
Bergmann said the president and king may also discuss other concerns of the king, like international nutrition and health aid for poor nations. International aid from the U.S. took a hit with the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Mr. Trump told the BBC last week he thinks the king's visit could help repair U.S.-U.K. relations.
"Absolutely," the president told the BBC. "He's fantastic. He's a fantastic man. Absolutely the answer is yes."
Trump and Charles have met before
It's not clear exactly when they first met, but it was more than two decades ago, when Mr. Trump was a businessman in New York society. Photos show Melania and Donald Trump chatting with Charles at an event at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 2005.
More formally, the president and first lady visited with him in the U.K. in 2019, when Charles was still the Prince of Wales. The Trumps visited again inSeptember 2025, attending an elaborate state dinner hosted by the king and queen at Windsor Castle.
"I know him well, I've known him for years," Mr. Trump told the BBC last week. "He's a brave man, and he's a great man."
Mr. Trump expressed his sympathy for the king after the king's brother, Andrew Mountbatton-Windsor, wasarrestedon suspicion of public misconduct in office related to revelations from the Epstein files. The king had already stripped Andrew of his royal titles due to his connections to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Mr. Trump called the situation with Andrew a "very sad thing."
Charles' last official visit to Washington was in 2015, while he was still prince. He and Camilla met with the Obamas during that visit.
King and queen greeted by military band, then visited White House for tea with Trumps
When Charles and Camilla landed on U.S. soil Monday, they were welcomed by a U.S. military band and school children who presented posies of flowers.
Then, they headed to the White House, where President Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcomed them with a private tea and tour of the White House's latestbeehive.
