King Charles US visit live: Macron responds to ‘speaking French’ jibe at Trump ahead of final day of tour

With eloquence and elan, the King’s address to the US Congress was a masterclass in sending contrarian messages to the US president that few would dare deliver. Simon Walters highlights the key battlegrounds…

King Charles and Queen Camilla will visit Front Royal on Thursday for the final day of their historic state visit.

The small town in Virginia, which has a population of around 15,000 people, has been preparing for their arrival for several days.

A “short and celebratory” parade is set to take place in the centre of town at around 10am, where the King and Queen will meet residents, local businesses, and organisations.

Government offices and the town’s Warren County Public Schools will be shut for the day due to road closures, allowing students and staff to attend the event, local media has reported.

Local school bands and cadets will participate in the parade.

The King and Queen are also expected to visit Shenandoah National Park and a horse-racing farm.

The Independent’s Maroosha Muzaffar writes:

Many in India are celebrating New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani for saying he would ask King Charles to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond, a 105.6-carat jewel that was taken from India during British colonial rule and is now part of the crown jewels.

The diamond was taken from what is now Pakistan and presented to Queen Victoria in 1849 after the Treaty of Lahore, and many in South Asia view it as one of the most prominent symbols of colonial plundering. India has repeatedly called for it to be given back, though Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan have also laid claim to it.

The jewel’s long and contested history became an unexpected talking point during the third day of Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit to the US, where they met Mr Mamdani during a commemorative service at the 9/11 memorial in New York.

Earlier, at a press conference, Mr Mamdani was asked by a reporter what he intended to say to the King, beyond representing New York and honouring the 3,000 people killed in the September 11 2001 attacks.

“If I was to speak to the King, separately from that, I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-noor diamond,” Mr Mamdani responded.

It is not known whether Mr Mamdani followed through with his remark when he actually met the King – his office has declined to confirm either way, and Buckingham Palace has declined to ​comment. The Indian government is also yet to respond officially to the remarks.

The royals are expected to receive a formal farewell from president Donald Trump on Thursday.

Afterward, the pair will visit Virginia for various community activities.

Charles and Camilla are reportedly set to attend a party marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, as well as meeting members of indigenous communities to discuss climate change projects, according to US media.

King Charles is then expected to travel to Bermuda.

Read more details about the King’s schedule below:

King Charles III and Queen Camilla have wrapped up a packed day in New York, the third of their four-day US visit, attending multiple events across the city.

It was the first visit by a reigning British monarch to New York City in 16 years.

• The King and Queen went to the 9/11 memorial, marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. They laid flowers and met victims’ families and first responders.

• The King visited Harlem Grown in Harlem and joined children in planting crops and feeding chickens. He met the community organisation that helps kids and hosts agricultural and educational programs. Charles watched some kids plant lavender.

• The Queen attended a literary event at the New York Public Library, reading to children and donating a Winnie-the-Pooh character doll.

• Charles attended a UK trade and business event at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, meeting investors and financial leaders.

• The day ended with a UK–US cultural reception for The King’s Trust before the couple returned to Washington, DC.

French President Emmanuel Macron chimed in with his own response after King Charles joked that the U.S. would be speaking French if it weren’t for the U.K.

“You recently commented, Mr. President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German,” Charles said Tuesday evening at the White House state dinner. “Dare I say that if it wasn’t for us, you’d be speaking French?”

Charles’ joke earned a big laugh from the audience. Early Wednesday, Macron shared his reaction on social media, writing, “That would be chic!”

As the King and Queen were in New York during their four-day state visit, the US president said the monarch was a “phenomenal representative for his country” and suggested he would have differed in his approach to the conflict from the prime minister.

He said: “The King loves his country, and he’s a great king, and he’s a great friend of mine. And I think if that it were up to him, he would have probably helped us with Iran.”

Superstar singer Lionel Richie has praised the King’s speech to the US Congress, describing Charles as a wise friend “giving advice as to what we should be doing”.

Richie was among a host of celebrity supporters of the King’s Trust who joined its founder and the Queen on Wednesday to celebrate the charity’s work and showcase the UK’s cultural impact on New York.

The gathering of stars, which included Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace, fashion guru Anna Wintour, British creative Stella McCartney and model Iman, came at the end of a whirlwind royal day in Manhattan.

The King and Queen began by declaring they stood “in enduring solidarity with the American people” when they commemorated those killed during the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Charles and Camilla’s words of sympathy were written in a message left with a bouquet of flowers placed at the imposing memorial in New York, honouring the thousands of people who lost their lives almost 25 years ago.

The post was captioned: “TWO KINGS,” complete with a crown emoji. However, Newsom’s Press Office Account on X was quick to suggest how he would have captioned it.