Charles and Camilla visited two states and Washington, D.C., over four days.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla concluded their first-ever state visit to the United States on Thursday, wrapping up a whirlwind four days that took them to Washington, D.C., New York City and Virginia.
The royals' visit took place amid significant strains between the U.K. and the U.S. over the war in Iran. It also happened under the shadow of Charles' brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's connection to the ongoing Epstein scandal.
Charles took Washington by storm, delivering a rare joint address to Congress and garnering good cheer with his toast at a White House state dinner. In New York City, the king and queen mixed with celebrities and locals alike before traveling to Virginia to celebrate America's 250th birthday.
Scroll below to see how the visit unfolded.
Charles boarded his plane at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland Thursday afternoon ending a four-day state visit including trips to Washington D.C., New York, Virginia, an address to Congress and more.
The king will continue on to Bermuda, a British Overseas Territory.
The queen, who is a patron of horse racing in the U.K., learned about America’s own horse racing industry Thursday at Smitten Farm near The Plains, Virginia.
Camilla met with the owner and manager of the farm and said about owning and breeding racehorses, “You have to go with the ups and downs. There are many more downs than there are ups.”
Describing her visit to the farm, Camilla said, “It’s a lovely way to finish off this trip," according to reporters traveling with the queen.
Charles, who is known for his love of the outdoors, spent time Thursday touring Virginia's Shenandoah National Park, one of America’s 63 national parks.
The king met with staff to learn more about the park, which covers 200,000 acres in Virginia.
He also met some of the park’s youngest supporters as he joined a swearing in ceremony for a group of Junior Rangers, the National Park Service’s program for children.
Charles also spent time with members of the Monacan Indian Nation, who live on their ancestral lands in Western Virginia.
Charles and Camilla got another taste of America when they joined locals in Front Royal, Virginia, for a potluck to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
The food at the potluck included pizza, doughnuts and chicken wings. Charles and Camilla also contributed British dishes of coronation quiche, Victoria sponge cake and honey from the royal beehives, according to reporters traveling with the king and queen.
The potluck on Thursday is part of a broader initiative to have communities throughout the country gather for potluck meals over the course of the year.
