The King has been invited to address a joint meeting of the US Congress on April 28 during his visit to Washington DC, House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson has said.
The senior Republican politician wrote in a post on X: “It is my distinct honour and great privilege to invite His Majesty King Charles III, The King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to address a joint meeting of Congress.
“Our two nations share one of the most consequential partnerships in history, and together we will mark the historic milestone of America’s 250th year of independence.”
Charles and Queen Camilla’s long-expected historic trip will take place in late April despite calls for it to be postponed or even cancelled because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
US President Donald Trump and the King Charles at the Windsor state banquet last year (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Archive)
US president Mr Trump declared the trip will be “TERRIFIC!” and a “momentous occasion” in a post on his Truth Social, adding that there would be “a beautiful Banquet Dinner” at the White House on the evening of April 28.
He also revealed the “historic state visit” will take place over four days from April 27-30 – despite Buckingham Palace deciding not to release the exact dates in its own official announcement.
“I look forward to spending time with the King, whom I greatly respect. It will be TERRIFIC!,” Mr Trump added.
The official announcement from Buckingham Palace on Tuesday came less than an hour after Mr Trump told the UK to secure the Strait of Hormuz itself and “go get your own oil”.
It will be the King’s first visit to the US as monarch and the first state visit by a British sovereign to America for nearly 20 years, since Queen Elizabeth II’s tour in 2007.
State visits are undertaken on “the advice of His Majesty’s Government”, a fact with which the Palace began its official statement announcing the tour.
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