State visit from British Royals will go ahead after Washington shooting

LONDON – Buckingham Palace said Sunday that it would proceed with this week’s scheduled U.S. visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla after the shooting Saturday at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington.

The statement said that the king and queen were “most grateful” to organizers and that they were “looking forward to the visit getting underway tomorrow.”

In an earlier statement, the palace said that the king had been “kept fully informed of developments” and that he was “greatly relieved” that President Donald Trump, Melania Trump and all other guests were unharmed.

The British royals have been preparing for a four-day visit hosted by Donald Trump, including an address to Congress and a banquet at the White House. The visit was arranged to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, and the royals are set to stop in New York and Washington, D.C.

Planning for the visit began long before the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February, setting off a war that has put considerable strain on the U.S.- British relationship.

Trump has disparaged Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his government over Britain’s reluctance to join the offensive. Still, Starmer joined a chorus of world leaders to express solidarity with Trump on Sunday. The British government said that Starmer had spoken with Trump by phone Sunday.

Some have hoped that the royals’ visit could smooth over geopolitical tensions. Trump likes pomp and circumstance. And he has praised the king, who hosted the president for a state visit to Britain in September.

“I look forward to spending time with the King, whom I greatly respect,” Trump wrote on social media last month. “It will be TERRIFIC!”