Photo courtesy of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
Then-Prince Charles and then-Duchess of Cornwall visit Mount Vernon March 18, 2015.
When King Charles III and Queen Camilla stop in Virginia this week to mark the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, it will be one of several visits from the royal family over the years.
Although as of Sunday there are no plans to cancel the trip, The New York Times reported: "Buckingham Palace said on Sunday that it was assessing plans for this week’s scheduled U.S. visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla in light of the shooting on Saturday at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, D.C."
Also read: King Charles to Visit Front Royal, Va. Thursday
"The palace said in a statement that discussions would take place “throughout the day” to consider “to what degree the events of Saturday evening [at the White House Correspondents Dinner] may or may not impact on the operational planning for the visit.” It expressed the king’s relief that no guests were hurt."
If all goes according to plan, this will mark King Charles' first state visit to the United States as King, though it is his 19th visit to the country overall.
The King is expected to deliver an address to a joint session of Congress.
The couple is scheduled to visit Washington, D.C. and New York Monday, April 27 through Wednesday, April 29 and then Virginia on Thursday, April 30, the last day of their four-day tour. General details of the Virginia visit are:
- 250th Anniversary Events: The royal couple will attend an "America at 250" block party, celebrating the upcoming anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
- Community and Cultural Engagement: King Charles will engage with indigenous community members on climate change adaptation, and the couple will attend performances by Appalachian cultural groups.
- Environmental and Local Focus: The itinerary includes visits to a national park (which some news outlets speculate is Shenandoah National Park) and a local farm, with a focus on conservation and agricultural links, according to Wric.com reports.
King Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, visited Virginia at least four times during state visits.
• In 1957 for the 350th anniversary of Jamestown, staying at the White House as guests of President Eisenhower and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower and at the Williamsburg Inn in Williamsburg, Va.
• In 1976 for the bicentennial, they visited Charlottesville, UVA and Monticello and spent a night at the White House, guests of President Ford and First Lady Betty Ford and other nights on the royal yacht HMY Britannia, moored in Newport, R.I. and other spots.
• In 1991, the Queen visited Arlington National Cemetery, Mount Vernon and Quantico and stayed at the White House as a guest of President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush. During a visit to Texas, she stayed at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas and the Ritz Carlton in Houston.
• In 2007, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip stayed at Blair House and again at the Williamsburg Inn, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown.
• King Charles III visited Williamsburg twice (1981,1993), and Mount Vernon has hosted him and other royals, including King George VI in 1939.
The White House has released some details of the royal visit this week:
President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will welcome His Majesty King Charles the III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Her Majesty Queen Camilla to Washington, DC for a State Visit on Monday, April 27, through Thursday, April 30, 2026. This occasion marks the first official State Visit of the second term of the Trump Administration.
First Lady Melania Trump led the preparations for the State Visit, which will honor the longstanding and special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom as the American people mark 250 years of independence.
On the afternoon of Monday, April 27, the President and First Lady will greet Their Majesties when they arrive to the South Portico of the White House. The couples will then head to the State Floor where they will sit for tea in the Green Room.
After tea, Their Majesties will join the President and First Lady for a tour of the newly unveiled and expanded White House Beehive, which is nestled on the South Lawn near the White House Kitchen Garden. Afterward, the couples will bid farewell and depart the White House Grounds.
On the morning of Tuesday, April 28, the President and First Lady will host a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House. Drawing upon a tradition that dates back to the 18th century, the President and First Lady will proudly mark the official arrival of Their Majesties with a traditional military arrival ceremony with Military Honors rendered by the United States Army Herald Trumpets. National anthems of both countries will be played by “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, with the Presidential Salute Battery rendering a 21-gun cannon salute.
Following an Inspection of the Troops and a Troop in Review, facilitated by the U.S. Army Fife and Drum Corps, the President will deliver remarks from the South Lawn. Afterward, the President, First Lady, and Their Majesties will proceed to the Blue Room Balcony where they will participate in a Pass in Review of 300 United States Service Members with nearly 500 members of the U.S. Armed Forces from all six military branches present at the ceremony—a historic first for State Visits.
In addition to thousands of guests on the South Lawn, notable guests invited to attend the ceremony include Members of the President’s Cabinet, Members of Congress, the official Delegation of the United States of America, the official Delegation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, American military families, and students from the British International School of Washington.
At the conclusion of the arrival ceremony, Their Majesties will sign the White House guest book and participate in an official gift exchange with the President and First Lady in the Blue Room. In the Cross Hall of the State Floor, the couples will then participate in a receiving line with the delegations from both countries.
Following these engagements, the couples will walk to the Oval Office where the President and His Majesty will participate in a bilateral meeting. The First Lady and Her Majesty will assume a separate schedule.
First Lady Melania Trump and Queen Camilla will join American students for a cross-cultural educational event at the White House Tennis Pavilion. Within the spirit of Mrs. Trump’s Fostering the Future Together initiative, the small group, including several state champions from the Presidential AI Challenge, will use virtual reality headsets to learn about the United Kingdom. Participants will also utilize AI-enabled glasses to learn about American history and the Special Relationship by evaluating artifacts from the White House Collection and the National Archives and Records Administration.
On Tuesday evening, the President and First Lady will greet Their Majesties upon their arrival to the South Portico of the White House for a State Dinner in the East Room. The Office of the First Lady will share additional details on the State Dinner prior to the event. On Thursday morning, April 30, the President and First Lady will greet Their Majesties at the South Portico of the White House and say their farewells in the Diplomatic Reception Room.
