King Charles III visit live updates: Charles meets with top business leaders

Charles went from gardening with children to meeting with top CEOs Wednesday in New York City.

At an afternoon reception held on the 65th floor of Rockefeller Center, Charles met with leaders of companies including Bank of America, Blackstone, JP Morgan, Comcast, Citigroup and Alphabet.

The king shook hands with the business leaders and talked to them about their careers and how they’re investing in the U.K., according to reporters traveling with him.

Charles then went onto a bigger meeting with 50 more executives who snacked on canapes and ice tea and wine while they spoke with the king about their work in areas including technology, healthcare, financial services and more.

Camilla was joined by a star-studded lineup at a solo event held at the New York Public Library Wednesday.

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker, Vogue’s Anna Wintour, singer Katherine Jenkins and authors Min Jin Lee and Harlan Coben were among the luminaries who gathered with Camilla at an event to promote her charity, the Queen’s Reading Room, which celebrates the power of reading.

“The first Americans, I met in life were the characters I met in my treasured childhood novels,” Camilla said in her remarks, according to reporters traveling with the queen. “I knew even then, the books are best friends you can have, in good times and bad.”

She continued, “As many of us long suspected, books really are good for us. They also have a magic way of bringing people together with the ability to transcend any barrier."

After a series of formal events, Charles got to spend time outdoors with children Wednesday afternoon in New York.

The king, a known environmentalist, visited Harlem Grown, a nonprofit organization that helps teach kids about urban farming, sustainability, and nutrition, according to its website.

Charles was seen leaning over a fence to feed chickens alongside a group of kids during the visit.

Charles and Camilla’s first stop in New York City Wednesday was the National 9/11 Memorial, where they met with families of Sept. 11, 2001, victims and first responders.

The royals were greeted by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, who showed them the memorial and stood by their side as they laid a bouquet of flowers.

The flowers were accompanied by a note that read, “We honour the memory of all those who so tragically lost their lives on 11th September 2001, and stand in enduring solidarity with the American people in the face of such profound loss. Charles R Camilla R," according to reporters who are traveling with the king and queen.

Other elected officials in attendance at the memorial were New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill.