The United States will welcome a British King to its soil almost two and a half centuries after declaring its independence from Britain. To mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, King Charles and Queen Camilla are undertaking a visit to the United States from April 27 to April 30.
When American President Donald Trump visited the United Kingdom in 2025, His Majesty spoke about the "enduring bond between" their two nations.
"Anchored by the deep friendship between our people, this relationship which, with good reason, we and our predecessors have long called 'special', has made us safer and stronger through the generations," the King said. "Our people have fought and died together for the values we hold dear. We have innovated, traded and created together, fuelling our economies and cultures through myriad forms of exchange. We have celebrated together, mourned together and stood together in the best and worst of times."
"Mr. President, as we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence next year, it is remarkable to think just how far we have come. I cannot help but wonder what our forebears from 1776 would make of this friendship today," Charles continued. "The rebel commander and pioneering first President, George Washington, famously vowed never to set foot on British soil. And my five times Great Grandfather, King George III, for his part, did not spare his words when he spoke of the revolutionary leaders."
"Today, however, we celebrate a relationship between our two countries that surely neither Washington nor King George III could possibly have imagined. The ocean may still divide us, but in so many other ways we are now the closest of kin."
King Charles' trip to the United States in April will mark the 77-year-old monarch's first state visit to the country since ascending the throne. His late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, visited the capital, Washington, D.C., on more than one occasion during her 70-year reign.
As anticipation builds around the King's upcoming state visit, Best Quality Designer Handbag is taking a look back at Queen Elizabeth II's visits to the American capital.
© Getty ImagesPresident Harry S. Truman
Before she was Queen, then-Princess Elizabeth visited D.C. Pictured here on November 1, 1951 with President Harry S. Truman, the future Queen hosted a dinner for the 33rd American President at the Canadian Embassy.
According to the White House Historical Association, the royal stayed at Blair House with the president and his family during the visit because the White House was undergoing renovation.
© Getty ImagesPresident Dwight D Eisenhower
The late Queen paid her first official state visit to America in 1957. The monarch recalled the visit in her speech at the 2019 U.S. State Banquet. She said: "I paid my first State Visit to your country at the invitation of President Eisenhower. As Supreme Allied Commander, he had ultimate responsibility for the execution of the Normandy landings. In his headquarters in St James's Square – not far from Buckingham Palace – British and American officers worked closely together to plan the freedom of a continent, and it would be no exaggeration to say that millions of lives depended on their common endeavour."
The Queen is pictured above being welcomed at the White House by First Lady Mamie Eisenhower.
© Getty ImagesPresident Dwight D. Eisenhower
The Queen was accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, on her first state visit to the United States as monarch. The royal couple stayed at the White House with the first lady and president. The Queen is said to have "had a fondness for Eisenhower having met him during World War II."
© Getty ImagesPresident Gerald Ford
The Queen returned to the White House during Gerald Ford’s presidency. The monarch is seen here waving from a balcony along with the 38th U.S. President, First Lady Betty Ford and Prince Philip on July 7, 1976.
© Getty ImagesPresident Gerald Ford
The Queen and President Gerald Ford shared a dance at the White House state dinner held in honor of the royal's visit during the U.S. Bicentennial.
© Getty ImagesPresident George H. W. Bush
In recognition of his world leadership, Queen Elizabeth presented President George H. W. Bush with the Churchill Award in the White House's Rose Garden on May 14, 1991.
Following the 41st president's passing in 2018, the Queen said in a statement: "President Bush was a great friend and ally of the United Kingdom. He was also a patriot, serving his country with honour and distinction in Office and during the Second World War. Prince Philip and I remember our days in Texas in 1991 with great fondness."
© WireImagePresident George W. Bush
Queen Elizabeth's final state visit to the United States took place in May 2007. The monarch and Prince Philip (pictured with President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush) undertook the visit to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement.
President Bush and his wife had visited England in November 2003 and were said to have welcomed "the opportunity to return that hospitality."
© Getty ImagesPresident George W. Bush
In remarks at the White House arrival ceremony in 2007, the Queen said: "This is my fifth visit to the United States and I believe it is important to remind ourselves of the purpose of these occasions which gives meaning to the ceremonial, the symbolism and the circumstance."
"A State Visit provides us with a brief opportunity to step back from our current preoccupations to reflect on the very essence of our relationship. It gives us the chance to look back at how the stories of our two countries have been inextricably woven together; it is the moment to take stock of our present friendship - rightly taking pleasure from its strengths, while never taking these for granted; and it is the time to look forward, jointly renewing our commitment to a more prosperous, safer and freer world."
