King Charles III will deliver a landmark address to the US Congress during his first state visit to the United States this month, marking what Buckingham Palace described as a celebration of “shared history” and close bilateral ties.
The monarch will travel to the US from April 27 on a four-day state visit with Queen Camilla, during which he is scheduled to address lawmakers from both chambers of Congress, according to the royal communications team.
Buckingham Palace said the visit would “recognise the shared history of our two nations” and the “breadth” of current relations, highlighting strong “people-to-people connections” between the UK and the United States.
The trip comes amid calls from some UK politicians for it to be postponed over political tensions between US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer regarding the Iran conflict. However, Downing Street has confirmed the visit will proceed, with Starmer stressing the importance of the monarchy in sustaining long-standing diplomatic ties.
Trump, writing on his Truth Social platform, said the visit “will be TERRIFIC.”
US House Speaker Mike Johnson has confirmed that Charles will address Congress on April 28, though Buckingham Palace has not formally confirmed the exact date of the speech.
The king will be the first British monarch to address Congress since Queen Elizabeth II did so in 1991 following the Gulf War.
During the visit, Charles and Camilla are expected to have tea with Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, attend a state dinner, and participate in a military review. Trump previously hosted the royal couple during a high-profile state visit in September, which included ceremonies at Windsor Castle and military displays.
Charles, 77, also continues to face domestic scrutiny over ongoing controversy involving his brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, amid renewed attention to his past associations with convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Some US lawmakers and relatives of Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide last year, have called for meetings with survivors during the visit. However, a source cited by the Press Association said such a meeting would not take place, citing concerns it could interfere with ongoing legal processes.
Following Washington, the royal couple will travel to New York, where they are expected to meet first responders and families of victims of the September 11 attacks, nearly 25 years on.
Charles will also meet business leaders and attend a reception highlighting cultural links and the work of his charity, The King’s Trust, which supports disadvantaged young people.
The tour will continue in Virginia, where the couple will attend commemorations linked to early English colonial settlements and take part in a public “block party” marking historical ties and the 1776 Declaration of Independence.
They will conclude the visit in Bermuda on May 1, marking Charles’s first visit to the territory as monarch. The last royal visit to Bermuda was made by Queen Elizabeth II in 2009.
