The trip will start in Washington D.C. on Monday.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are making their first-ever state visit to the U.S., visiting Washington, D.C., New York City and Virginia.
The royals’ visit comes at a heightened time, following a shooting incident outside the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner and amid new strains between the U.K. and the U.S. over the war in Iran. It’s also happening under the shadow of Charles' brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's connection to the ongoing Epstein scandal.
During the visit, Charles will deliver a rare joint address to Congress and there will be a state dinner at the White House.
The British Embassy shared a behind-the-scenes look on Monday at how it is preparing for a garden party welcoming Charles and Camilla to the U.S.
The garden party, hosted at the embassy residence in Washington, D.C., will include 650 guests who will snack on four types of tea sandwiches as well as scones and desserts.
The embassy’s head chef said the team is preparing nearly 3,000 tea sandwiches for the party.
Charles and Camilla were greeted by the U.K. ambassador and two children with posies as they deplaned on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews.
Their plane landed at Joint Base Andrews moments ago.
King Charles has visited the United States 19 times before but today will mark his first state visit as a monarch.
Charles’ first trip to the U.S. was in 1970 when the 21-year-old Prince of Wales traveled with his sister Princess Anne and were guests of the Nixons.
Charles also traveled to Los Angeles in 1974 where he met and struck up a friendship with Barbra Streisand.
In 1985 Charles, accompanied by Princess Diana, met the Reagans at the White House. It was on this trip that Diana famously danced with John Travolta.
In 2005 Charles took Camilla to see the Bushes on their first official overseas trip since their marriage, and in 2015 the couple returned to the White House as guests of the Obamas.
This trip will have echoes of previous royal visits when Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, visited the United States in July 1976 for the 200th anniversary of American independence. More recently, in 1991 Elizabeth became the first British monarch to address Congress.
