King Charles and Queen Camilla will travel to the United States on Monday for a state visit, proceeding as planned despite a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday that officials have described as an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump. The visit is overshadowed by the incident, but security measures are very strict and the trip is intended to proceed. Buckingham Palace said the four-day trip will 'proceed as planned', and UK Ambassador Sir Christopher Turner confirmed the visit will proceed as scheduled.
The suspect in the assassination attempt has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, according to multiple reports. The suspect was carrying a shotgun and handgun. Trump described the suspect as 'a lone wolf whack job' and praised King Charles as 'brave', saying he represents the UK like nobody else. The motive of the suspect remains unknown, and it is unclear whether the visit will include any public events or be limited to secure locations.
The real point is that our respective security teams have been in close touch for weeks. And any operational changes we have to make, we can make them as we go, and we are all very confident that all appropriate security measures are in place.
The visit marks the first state visit by King Charles to the United States since his accession. Trump and King Charles last met during a state visit in autumn 2024 when Trump visited the UK. During that visit, Trump and Melania did not bow or curtsy when meeting Charles and Camilla, but the British court said no etiquette breach occurred, noting that meeting the royals does not involve mandatory etiquette. In previous interactions with the British royal family, Trump briefly walked ahead of Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle in 2018, allegedly kept her waiting for a tea meeting that same year, and touched her back at a banquet in 2019, which is against tradition. According to a biography, Queen Elizabeth described Trump as 'very rude'.
He's a great guy, and we look forward to it. He's really a fantastic person and a tremendous representative, and he's brave. We're gonna have a great time. And he represents his nation like nobody else can do it.
a lone wolf whack job