Today's Edition
WASHINGTON (REUTERS)
Britain's King Charles arrived at the White House on Tuesday for a meeting with US President Donald Trump, as part of a state visit intended to underscore unity between the two long-time allies.
Charles and Queen Camilla were greeted by the president and first lady Melania Trump for a morning visit to the presidential mansion while hundreds of guests stood on the South Lawn with the Washington Monument in the distance. Cannons boomed, temporarily covering much of the scene with smoke, as the US national anthem played.
“What a beautiful British day this is,” Trump told the gathering under an April sky overcast to the amusement of British guests.
The royal couple are on a four-day state visit to the US designed to underscore the forged ties between Britain and its former colony over the 250 years since American independence.
In his remarks, Trump stressed the bonds of friendship that have evolved between Britons and Americans since their days as adversaries during the War of Independence and the “wounds of war” it caused.
“The soldiers who once called each other Red Coats and Yankees became the Tommies and the GIs who together saved the free world as brothers in arms and brothers in eternity,” the president said in a reference to World War Two.
Camilla and Melania Trump, who wore similar white tailored outfits and wide-brimmed hats, attended an event at the White House tennis pavilion, while Charles and Trump met behind closed doors.
Charles Trump presented with a framed facsimile of the 1879 design plans for the president's Resolute Desk, the originals of which are in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London.
The Resolute Desk, located in the Oval Office, was created from the timbers of the British exploration ship HMS Resolute and presented to President Rutherford B. Hayes by Queen Victoria.
Trump gave the king a facsimile of a 1785 letter by John Adams, describing his reception by King George III as the first US ambassador to Britain at St. James's Palace and their mutual pledges of friendship following American independence.
The Trumps later escorted the king and queen to their limousine. Asked what they talked about, the president replied: "It was a really good meeting. He's a fantastic person. They're incredible people and it's a real honour."
What Next
After the visit to the White House, the king was scheduled to emphasise unity between the US and Britain in a rare address to a joint meeting of Congress at 3 pm EDT (1900 GMT).
Charles will underline their countries' shared values as the duty to promote peace, compassion, and democracy, while protecting the environment and religious freedom. A palace source said that, despite the periodic differences in the two countries' relationship, the king will say: "Time and again, our two countries have always found ways to come together."
Addresses to joint meetings of Congress are generally reserved for the closest US allies or major world figures.
Tuesday night's state dinner will be the first at the White House since Trump had the East Wing torn down to make way for his planned ballroom. The East Wing for decades has been the official entrance for guests arriving for state dinners and other functions, and with the area now a construction zone, they will have to take a different route into the building.
The Congress speech is set to last about 20 minutes, the palace source said. It will focus on the deep bonds between the two nations.
