King Charles III to visit Washington, New York, and Virginia for four-day US state visit marking America's 250th anniversary

King Charles III is set to address a joint session of Congress and attend commemorations across three American cities beginning Monday, in a visit that palace officials and historians describe as a carefully choreographed diplomatic event. The trip was staged at the request of the British government, according to the Associated Press, even after Trump publicly criticized Starmer personally and questioned the British military's contributions in Afghanistan.

Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley, speaking to the AP, said the visit is designed to underscore that the monarchy and the government represent distinct institutions. "Politics come and go, prime ministers, presidents, come and go, but there's something deeper about the special relationship between the United States and the U.K.," Brinkley said. Despite the intergovernmental frictions, Trump has continued to speak warmly about Charles, Brinkley noted.

The itinerary, as reported by the AP, includes a commemoration of the September 11, 2001 attacks, a ceremony honoring fallen service members, and an event tied to the 100th anniversary of A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh stories. The royals are not expected to meet with victims connected to Jeffrey Epstein, and no meeting with Prince Harry is planned, according to the AP.