LONDON, UK – As the United Kingdom prepares for King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s highly anticipated four-day state visit to the United States, a late Saturday shooting incident at Washington D.C.’s annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner has injected sudden uncertainty into the diplomatic itinerary, Buckingham Palace confirmed Sunday.
The palace said in an official statement that King Charles III felt “greatly relieved” after learning that former US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and all other attendees at the gala escaped harm in the shooting. The incident occurred fewer than 48 hours before the royal couple are set to depart for their visit, which marks a celebration of the long-standing bilateral relationship between Britain and the US to coincide with America’s 250th anniversary of independence.
Per the palace’s update, the British monarch is being continuously updated on all developments related to the incident, and cross-team discussions are ongoing throughout Sunday between UK and US officials to assess what impact, if any, the Saturday evening shooting will have on the operational and security planning for the state visit.
Senior UK Cabinet Minister Darren Jones previously told British broadcasters that security teams from both nations have been working in close coordination to adjust and solidify appropriate security protocols for the visit in the wake of the incident.
Unnamed palace sources have confirmed that King Charles and Queen Camilla have privately reached out to the Trumps to express their concern for everyone affected by the shooting, while also extending gratitude to the US security services that acted quickly to prevent more widespread casualties. Trump himself confirmed that the only person injured was a law enforcement officer shot at close range, adding that the officer’s injuries do not appear to be life-threatening.
The upcoming state visit will see Charles and Camilla travel to both Washington D.C. and New York City. A key highlight of the itinerary will be King Charles’ address to the US Congress, making him the first British monarch to speak to the joint legislative body since his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, delivered a similar address in 1991. The royal couple are also scheduled to hold a tea meeting with the Trumps and attend an official state dinner hosted by the Biden administration.
The shooting incident comes at a time of already heightened transatlantic tensions that threaten to overshadow the landmark diplomatic visit. Disagreements over the ongoing conflict surrounding Iran, as well as lingering fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, have already created friction ahead of the trip. Former President Trump has repeatedly publicly criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his opposition to the escalation of the Iran conflict, as well as his government’s policies on immigration and energy.
On Sunday, Starmer held a phone call with Trump to extend his sympathies and good wishes following the shooting incident, Downing Street confirmed in a statement. “He expressed his relief that the President and First Lady were safe and wished a speedy recovery to the officer injured,” the statement read. Beyond the shooting, the pair also discussed the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, agreeing on the urgent need to reopen commercial shipping lanes in the strategic waterway, given the severe risks the current closure poses to the global economy and cost of living for households both in the UK and across the world.