King Charles and Queen Camilla begin state visit to United States

King Charles III and Queen Camilla have begun their state visit to the United States.

King Charles and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom began their highly anticipated state visit to the United States on Monday. The King and Queen are in the U.S. at the request of the British Government and by the invitation of the President following the U.S. state visit to Britain last September.

Yesterday’s packed itinerary started when the King and Queen touched down at Joint Base Andrews (JBA) around 2.30 pm local time aboard the British government’s GBNI aeroplane, dubbed ‘Baby Voyager’.

Queen Camilla stepped off the plane in a new pink Dior coat dress—made especially for the occasion—paired with the Union Flag/Stars and Stripes Brooch that was presented to the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1957 by the Mayor of New York City.

The King and Queen were greeted by the Chief of Protocol of the U.S., Monica Crowley, as well as His Majesty’s Ambassador to the United States, H.E. Sir Christian Turner. A small arrival ceremony took place with an Honour Guard and the playing of the respective national anthems. Their Majesties then proceeded to Blair House, where the King and Queen will be staying for the trip.

After a quick change, the King and Queen arrived on the White House’s South Portico to be greeted by President and First Lady Trump. The couples stood for a quick photo call before heading into the White House. Inside, the four posed for photographs on the State Floor, passing a painting depicting the President’s first assassination attempt in Butler, PA, through the historic corridors.

The King and Queen then sat for a private tea with the Presidential Couple in the Green Room.

Following their private tea, the King and Queen joined the President and First Lady on the South Lawn to see the newly unveiled and explained White House Beehive.

A statement from the White House noted,

The new hive is expected to increase annual honey production by an estimated 30 pounds, allowing for even greater use in preparing White House culinary dishes, serving as official gifts from the President and the First Lady, and supporting charitable donations of healthy foods to local food kitchens.

The installation will support the existing colonies in pollinating the nearby White House Kitchen Garden, Flower Cutting Garden, and vegetation on the National Mall. It will also serve as an educational feature, offering potential opportunities for visitors on the South Lawn to get a closer look at a working colony and learn about pollination and food production firsthand.

In continuing their packed schedule, Their Majesties then attended a Garden Party hosted at the British Embassy in Washington. Before joining the many guests, the King and Queen viewed a time capsule into which Their Majesties placed a coin to mark their state visit. The capsule will be interred in the Washington Monument and opened in 2076, when the U.S. celebrates its Tricentennial (300 years of independence).

The King and Queen, then rejoined by the British Ambassador to the United States, Sir Christian Turner, stood as ‘God Save the King’ was played at Their Majesties arrival. Around 600 guests, including Tom Daley OBE and the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, were in attendance to see the King and Queen. All absolutely scrambled for a spot to have a quick word with Their Majesties.

This historic state visit is the seventh by a reigning British Monarch, and Charles is the first King to visit the United States since his grandfather, George VI, did so in 1939.

Later today, the King and Queen will mark their most diplomatically important day with full state ceremonies at the White House and a glittering state dinner in the evening.

Schedules, publicly published by the White House, show Their Majesties arriving at the White House around 10:30 am local time [3:30 BST] with dinner festivities around 7 pm [12 am BST].