President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump formally welcomed King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the White House Tuesday morning, launching a high-profile day of events capped by the king’s historic address to Congress.
The South Lawn ceremony — complete with military honors, a cannon salute, and more than 200 performers — marked the official start of the royals’ visit in Washington. U.S. military units, including the Marines and Space Force, participated in the display, underscoring the significance of the moment.
As “The Star-Spangled Banner” played, Melania Trump placed her hand over her heart while President Trump delivered a salute. King Charles and Queen Camilla stood solemnly beside them, observing the ceremony.
The visit comes as the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, with the royal trip intended to highlight the enduring — and sometimes tested — alliance between the U.S. and the United Kingdom.
Adding a personal twist ahead of the ceremony, President Trump posted on Truth Social about a report from The Daily Mail saying he and King Charles may share distant family ties.
“Wow, that’s nice. I’ve always wanted to live in Buckingham Palace!!!” Trump wrote. “I’ll talk to the King and Queen about this in a few minutes!!!”
Tuesday’s schedule is packed with diplomatic and ceremonial moments. Following the South Lawn welcome, the Trumps and the royals are set to exchange gifts in the Blue Room before President Trump and King Charles meet privately in the Oval Office. At the same time, the first lady and Queen Camilla will participate in an educational event with students on the White House grounds.
Later in the afternoon, King Charles will head to Capitol Hill, where he is scheduled to address a joint meeting of Congress at 3 p.m. The speech will be the first by a British monarch to lawmakers in 35 years — a rare and symbolic moment in U.S.-U.K. relations.
The evening will bring the pageantry back to the White House, where the king and queen will return for a formal tour and a state dinner in their honor.
Observers say the king’s address is likely to focus heavily on history — particularly the evolution of the U.S.-U.K. relationship from revolution to alliance.
“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,” Max Bergmann of the Center for Strategic and International Studies told CBS News.
Whether the king touches on more sensitive issues — such as human rights or shared democratic values — remains an open question.
For now, the focus in Washington is on ceremony, symbolism, and a closely watched display of transatlantic ties — with President Trump front and center.
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