The king and queen visited Washington, D.C. last month on a three-day trip. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump welcomed them at the White House’s South Portico on Monday, April 27.
Their visit came after Buckingham Palace announced it would go ahead despite a shooting incident in Washington D.C. Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was charged with federal gun crimes and attempting to assassinate the president following an incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. He has pleaded not guilty.
The king reportedly felt “greatly relieved” that the president remained uninjured during the incident. Following the event, the Palace stated that the state visit would move forward as planned, with only slight modifications to the itinerary.
The royal couple appeared cheerful and relaxed as the president and first lady received them on the first day of their trip. The group subsequently met for tea before taking part in a garden reception attended by various distinguished guests, including former Team GB diver Tom Daley.
Melania replied, according to the lip reader, “So pleased to see you.” She then expressed her enthusiasm for the state visit with a brief three-word remark, “I’m really delighted.”
After President Trump shook hands with the king and Melania exchanged kisses on both cheeks with the queen, the two couples took photographs outside the White House before moving inside for tea.
According to The Mirror, the president began walking indoors, then tapped the king on the shoulder. This move violated royal protocol, breaking the customary rule against initiating physical touch.
However, such gestures are often viewed as expressions of friendliness. Judi James explained to the Daily Mail, “This touch on the arm as they walked in also looked like a more political gesture.
“It was also the first real gesture of active, ‘special’ friendship here from a rather more subdued Trump than the very effusive rituals we saw during their last meeting [in September 2025].”
The expert noted that the king seemed unfazed by the protocol breach. She observed, “Charles has always seemed more relaxed about that than his mother [Queen Elizabeth II], and Trump’s gesture was extremely tempered for Trump.
“Just a light, tentative and rather polite touch to steer Charles inside.”
Both the king and President Trump also delivered a speech at a state dinner. The king later visited the 9/11 memorial, where he met with first responders who served during the tragedy, along with families of the victims.
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