King Charles III and
Queen Camilla’s U.S. Trip
What to Know
U.S.-U.K. Tensions
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8 Memorable Moments From Past British Royal Visits to the U.S.
With King Charles III and Queen Camilla set to arrive for a state visit with President Trump, we look back at some major moments in previous royal trips to the United States.
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By
Esther Bintliff
and
Sarah Eckinger
Reporting from London
April 27, 2026,
12:01 a.m. ET
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King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s
visit
to Washington comes as the relationship between Britain and the United States is in
turmoil
, with President Trump having repeatedly lobbed insults at Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his refusal to join the Iran war.
But the role of the British monarchy, which is officially apolitical, has often been to distract from the messiness of everyday politics and, through ritual and ceremony, point to something more enduring.
Here are a few pivotal moments in previous British royal visits to the United States.
1. Hot dogs and bridge-building
Image
King George VI, left, and his wife, Queen Elizabeth, right, later known as the Queen Mother, next to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt at Union Station in Washington in 1939.
Credit...
Associated Press
In June 1939, King George VI became the first
reigning British monarch
to set foot in the United States.
The trip came some 160 years after the Declaration of Independence and had a specific aim. With Hitler’s aggressive territorial ambitions becoming clear and war in Europe looming, Britain needed to strengthen ties with an increasingly powerful, but officially neutral, America.
The king and his wife, Queen Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother), were served
hot dogs
, cranberry jelly and strawberry shortcake at a picnic at President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s family retreat, Top Cottage, near Hyde Park, N.Y.
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