King Charles and Queen Camilla visit the White House at a notably tense time between the two allies – key US politics stories from 27 April 2026 at a glance

 

King Charles and Queen Camilla visit the White House at a notably tense time between the two allies – key US politics stories from 27 April 2026 at a glance

 

Guardian staff

Tue 28 Apr 2026 03.00 CEST

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/27/trump-news-latest-updates-today

 

King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at the White House on Monday for a state visit in Washington, a city still rattled by a weekend shooting and a transatlantic alliance showing fresh signs of strain.

 

British flags could be seen lining lamp-posts outside the White House, where Donald Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, greeted Charles and Camilla with handshakes. The four appeared to exchange pleasantries and posed for several photographs before heading inside the White House for a private tea.

 

The British monarch was spared the potential humiliation of being upbraided in public by the US president this week after the White House agreed that any meeting between the two men should be held off-camera.

 

UK ministers have pinned great hopes on the state visit, which they are hoping will help repair the relationship between the two countries at one of its most difficult periods in decades.

 

With Trump threatening retaliation for criticism of the Iran war by the prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, the government is hoping the king might be able to talk Trump down from some of his more aggressive statements.