Military ceremony for King Charles designated as highest honor for a visiting Head of State

U.S. President Donald Trump expressed confidence that the strong bond between the United States and the United Kingdom will endure well into the future during his meeting with King Charles at the White House. He also praised the monarch as a “very elegant man,” adding a personal remark about his late mother’s admiration for him.

Mariana Hernandez/Reuters

April 29, 2026

Military ceremony for King Charles designated as highest honor for a visiting Head of State

Britain's King Charles and U.S. President Donald Trump raise their glasses during a state dinner for the King and Queen Camilla at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 28, 2026.

Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters

Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla were formally welcomed to the United States on Tuesday (April 28) with an elaborate military ceremony designated as the highest honor for a visiting Head of State.

After greetings by U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, the royal couple were also welcomed by members of the Trump administration, including Vice President JD Vance. The King and Queen were also honored with cannon fire before Trump and Charles reviewed the troops.

Trump went on to make brief remarks, and then the group posed for photos on the South Portico balcony. Before entering the White House, Charles, Camilla, Trump and Melania paused on the balcony to watch a "Pass in Review" of nearly 500 members of the US Armed forces from all six military branches. The event ended with a military flyover.

The royal couple are on a four-day state visit to the U.S. designed to underscore the ties forged between Britain and its former colony over the 250 years since American independence, an association known in recent decades as the "special relationship."

-Production: Kristin Neubauer/Reuters