King Charles has vowed to proceed with his State Visit to the United States despite an apparent assassination attempt on President Donald Trump, according to Buckingham Palace. The King and Queen Camilla are expected to arrive on Monday afternoon as planned, Buckingham Palace said. The King and Queen reached out privately to the US President and First Lady on Sunday, a palace source said.
The assassination attempt occurred when Donald Trump was attending the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. According to US authorities, the suspected gunman, named as Cole Tomas Allen, was wrestled to the ground after a Secret Service agent was shot. The agent was wearing a bulletproof vest and escaped without serious injury. As many as eight shots were fired during the incident, and the gunman came within 100 yards of President Trump and other officials. Trump, Melania Trump, and JD Vance were hurried off the ballroom stage after the gunman exchanged fire with Secret Service agents. Allen, a 31-year-old teacher who supports Democrats, had checked in as a guest at the hotel. He told officers he wanted to shoot officials in the Trump administration, authorities reported.
An urgent security review is underway, and some 'modest operational adjustments' will be made to the royal couple's programme, according to major media reports. At least one tentative 'meet and greet moment' may be scrapped due to security concerns, a Daily Mail source said. The security review is being conducted in coordination with US authorities to ensure the safety of the royal visit.
The State Visit includes visits to Washington DC, New York, and Virginia over four days and commemorates 250 years of American independence. The itinerary features a state banquet at the White House, a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and a reception at the British Embassy. The visit is seen as a symbol of the enduring special relationship between the US and the UK.