King Charles III Starts US State Visit for 250th Anniversary

King Charles III arrived in the United States on Monday for a four-day state visit to Washington, New York and Virginia, aimed at celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary while reinforcing the enduring alliance between Britain and America.

The trip, requested by the British government, comes amid diplomatic strains over Prime Minister Keir Starmer's decision not to back U.S. President Donald Trump's military actions against Iran. Trump has publicly criticized Starmer and questioned Britain's military contributions in Afghanistan, yet he has expressed admiration for Charles personally. Historians anticipate the king will emphasize shared democratic values and historical ties in his address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, drawing parallels to Queen Elizabeth II's 1991 speech to lawmakers, which quoted American figures like Abraham Lincoln and celebrated transatlantic bonds.

Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University, noted the visit's focus on continuity beyond political fluctuations. "Politics come and go, prime ministers, presidents, come and go, but there's something deeper about the special relationship between the United States and the U.K.,"...