Buckingham Palace said King Charles III’s state visit to the U.S. this week will proceed as planned despite security concerns raised by Saturday’s shooting in Washington at a dinner attended by U.S. President Donald Trump.
“Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day, and acting on advice of Government, we can confirm the State Visit by Their Majesties will proceed as planned,” the Palace said in a statement Sunday evening. King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to fly to the U.S. on Monday.
The Palace said in an earlier statement Sunday that the King was being “kept fully informed” and was “greatly relieved” that Trump and other dignitaries at the gala dinner in the U.S. capital Saturday night were unharmed.
The U.K. government and the Palace are working closely with the U.S. on security arrangements ahead of the King’s visit, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said. There will be “appropriate security in place in relation to the risk,” Jones told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday.
The King and Queen are due to be in the U.S. April 27-30 for a state visit aimed at celebrating long-standing ties as the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary. The trip — the first British state visit to the U.S. since Queen Elizabeth II in 2007 — is expected to include a White House banquet and a rare address to Congress.
Those plans are now under fresh scrutiny after a gunman stormed the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday night, triggering panic as Trump and senior officials were rushed from the venue. Authorities said a lone attacker armed with a shotgun and other weapons breached a security checkpoint and exchanged fire with law enforcement officers, leaving one Secret Service member injured.
British embassy officials in Washington who are in communication with Capitol Hill leadership staff have said they are assessing the situation for Tuesday, when Charles is scheduled to address the U.S. Congress, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. Capitol Hill leadership circles are also discussing heightened security protocols, according to those two people and four others.
Buckingham Palace said King Charles had privately expressed his sympathies to Trump and his gratitude to security services for preventing further harm.
British security services “obviously remain in close cooperation” over the King’s visit, Jones told Sky News on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips.
Trump told Fox News on Sunday that King Charles would still be visiting despite the shooting. “King Charles is coming, and he’s a great guy. We look forward to it. He’s really a fantastic person,” Trump said.
The King’s visit to the U.S. comes against a worsening rift over the Iran war. Trump in March warned the U.K. that “the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore,” after Prime Minister Keir Starmer refused to deploy forces. Starmer later reiterated: “This is not our war.”
Dan Bloom and Meredith Lee Hill contributed reporting.
