The state visit of King Charles III to the United States is expected to be under tight security after the shooting incident at the correspondents’ dinner. London and Washington are strengthening their cooperation to ensure a smooth visit.
The British government continues to closely cooperate with American security services ahead of King Charles III’s visit to the United States on Monday, a senior official said on Sunday, following a shooting incident during the White House correspondents’ dinner.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were evacuated urgently from the gala dinner by Secret Service agents after a man opened fire near security personnel.
When asked about the incident by Sky News, Darren Jones, Secretary General to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, stated that the British government and Buckingham Palace take the security of King Charles III “very seriously,” and in-depth discussions are already underway and will continue in the coming days. He emphasized the close collaboration between security services leading up to the royal visit to the United States next week.
Soft power
King Charles and his wife, Camilla, are set to travel to the United States starting on Monday for a four-day state visit that includes a private meeting with Donald Trump and a speech to Congress marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
This visit by the king and queen, who will visit Washington, New York, and Virginia between April 27 and 30, will be heavily monitored. They are expected to stay at Blair House, a larger residence than the White House, located just across from it and already decorated ahead of their arrival.
The visit, notably coordinated by Melania Trump, is aimed at “warming up” relations between Donald Trump and the United Kingdom in a display of royal “soft power,” following tensions between the American president and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
/2021/12/14/61b8b99cec1d8_violaine-jaussent.png "War in the Middle East: Donald Trump will not back down in Iran after shots fired at White House correspondents dinner.")
