What a week it’s been here in the States! Just as quickly as King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit began on Monday, it wrapped on Thursday. I had a front row seat to history on Tuesday, attending three of the royals’ engagements in Washington, D.C.
My day on April 28 started early at the White House for the ceremonial welcome. As luck would have it, rain began to fall before it started. President Trump joked in his remarks that it was a “beautiful British day,” drawing laughs from guests and the press.
Having been in London for two of the late Queen’s jubilees and King Charles’s coronation, I’ve experienced British pomp and pageantry up close, and have raved about it. But, I have to say, the White House delivered an equally impressive display on Tuesday morning. It was a true pinch-me moment listening to the National Anthem performed by “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band while standing on the South Lawn of the White House. The arrival ceremony also featured a 21-gun cannon salute, inspection of the troops and a pass in review of hundreds of U.S. service members.
Following the ceremony, I joined First Lady Melania Trump and Queen Camilla at the White House Tennis Pavilion for an educational event with students exploring American and British history with AI-enabled glasses. Mrs. Trump even tried on a pair of Meta glasses herself, while the Queen politely declined.
© Getty ImagesFrom the White House I dashed to the U.S. Capitol, taking an Uber, the U.S. Senate subway and navigating the Capitol Hill tunnels, to collect my ticket so I could take my seat in the House Press Gallery, which is situated directly above where the King spoke.
The King received nearly three minutes of applause before his speech even began, followed by multiple standing ovations throughout. Honestly, I felt like I was in an episode of Veep. Throughout his remarks, the King had both Democrats and Republicans on their feet applauding. Nothing like a visit from royalty to bring both sides of the aisle together.
Sadly I did not attend the state dinner that evening, but, of course, I was following along. I loved the pink shades worn by both the Queen and First Lady, it felt like a nod to D.C.’s cherry blossoms. And let’s take a moment for Jonathan Anderson’s haute couture Christian Dior gown that Mrs. Trump wore for the occasion. Chef’s kiss. Speaking of chefs, the state dinner menu sounded delicious. I’m told the First Lady was very involved in the planning and helped lead the preparations for the dinner in the East Room of the White House.
© AFP via Getty ImagesThe day after, one attendee described the evening to me as one of those nights “where you really felt the weight and beauty of the moment at the same time,” adding: “The setting alone – the White House lit up, the tables perfectly set, every detail clearly thought through – set the tone right away. There’s a kind of quiet formality at first, with all the protocol and tradition, but it gradually gives way to something warmer and more relaxed.”
“The regalia and pageantry were striking – the military aides on hand, the music, the toasts – it all underscored how significant the relationship is between the United States and the United Kingdom.
“But what stood out just as much was the sense of genuine camaraderie in the room. People weren’t just there for ceremony; there was real conversation, laughter, and an appreciation for the occasion,” the attendee continued, noting that the dinner “felt like a celebration of shared history, but also very much about the present moment and the future. By the end of the evening, it struck that balance you hope for with something like this: meaningful, memorable, and surprisingly personal for a 120-some person state dinner”.
While the King and Queen’s visit continued through Thursday, my trip ended on Wednesday. Since returning home, I haven’t been able to stop reflecting on what I witnessed this week and reviewing ALL of the footage I captured, and, let me tell you, there’s a lot.
© Getty ImagesSo, how did the King do?
Leading up to the King’s state visit, much was said about the “special relationship” between the US and the UK. The President himself remarked in early March that it was “very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was.”
So, the question remains: did King Charles help repair that relationship this week? Only time will tell, and ultimately it will come down to our countries’ leaders.
That said, I do believe the visit underscored just how deep and enduring the bond between the US and the UK truly is. President Trump stated in his welcome ceremony: “In the centuries since we won our independence, Americans have had no closer friends than the British.”
Charles is also a friend of the President’s, as Trump has previously said. While the King is politically neutral, a trip like this highlights the US and UK’s shared history and ties.
We saw an immediate example of Charles’ soft power after he left the White House on April 30. In a post on Truth Social, the President announced that the King and Queen had gotten him “to do something that nobody else was able to do.”
President Trump penned: “In Honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom, who have just left the White House, soon headed back to their wonderful Country, I will be removing the Tariffs and Restrictions on Whiskey having to do with Scotland’s ability to work with the Commonwealth of Kentucky on Whiskey and Bourbon, two very important Industries within Scotland and Kentucky. People have wanted to do this for a long time, in that there had been great Inter-Country Trade, especially having to do with the Wooden Barrels used. The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking! A wonderful Honor to have them both in the U.S.A.”
The goal of the King’s visit to the United States was to celebrate the “historic connections” between the two countries, as well as their modern bilateral relationship, and I think it’s safe to say that mission was accomplished – and more.
