King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived at Joint Base Andrews on April 27, beginning a four-day state visit spanning Washington, D.C., New York City, and Virginia — the first by a reigning British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II in 2007.
U.S. Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley and British Ambassador Sir Christian Turner greeted the couple on the tarmac before they motorcaded to the White House, where President Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcomed them and led a South Lawn tour including a newly installed beehive.
The visit proceeds despite a shooting outside the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on April 25 that forced evacuation of the president and senior officials. After security reviews on both sides of the Atlantic, the royal household confirmed the trip would proceed.
Tuesday’s centerpiece is King Charles addressing a joint session of Congress — only the second by a British monarch, after Queen Elizabeth II’s 1991 address. He is expected to frame the 250-year arc between the nations as one of reconciliation and renewal and call the partnership one of the greatest alliances in human history, with remarks covering NATO, Ukraine, and the AUKUS defense pact. A White House state dinner follows.
Wednesday takes the royals to New York City to honor victims at the September 11 Memorial. The visit concludes Thursday in Virginia with an America 250 celebration and conservation meetings with Indigenous leaders.
For South Carolina, the visit carries economic and historical weight. BMW Manufacturing in Spartanburg County lists Great Britain among its five primary export markets, having shipped nearly 200,000 vehicles in 2025 with a $9 billion export value. Michelin, headquartered in Greenville, also operates UK manufacturing in Stoke-on-Trent. South Carolina and the United Kingdom exchange more than $4 billion in trade annually. Historic Camden in Kershaw County marks the August 1780 Battle of Camden — the worst Patriot defeat of the Revolution — and Charleston served as a British-held port through the Southern Campaign. Senator Lindsey Graham, a member of Armed Services and Appropriations, has long championed the U.S.-U.K. alliance.
