US5 min(s) read
Published 08:53 28 Apr 2026 GMT
King Charles and Queen Camilla began their four-day state visit on Monday (April 26), as they met President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the White House.
It is the first British state visit to the US since Queen Elizabeth II's trip, back in 2007.
Doubt was cast over their planned trip after an assassination attempt on Trump was carried out in Washington DC on Saturday.
Authorities say that the 31-year-old suspect gunman Cole Tomas Allen had rushed security outside the White House correspondents' dinner with two firearms and knives.
He then opened fire inside the ballroom at the Washington Hilton, with security acting quickly to protect top officials such as the President and Vice President.
Chilling footage from the ballroom revealed that security shielded Trump, who stayed in place longer, as agents moved around to protect him.
But just a few days on, the King and the President are in headlines for other reasons, after they shared an exchange in front of the press.
The leaders' first words to one another, and words following that for that matter, weren't audible to TV cameras.
But many are keen to hear what Trump has in store for Charles, as the visit is claimed to be one of the most important foreign trips so far during the King's reign.
Relations between the President and the UK Prime Minister aren't what you'd call amazing, with Keir Starmer being openly criticised on multiple occasions by the US leader.
Trump has called him "not Winston Churchill," even criticising the UK's approach to the Iran war by describing it as "terrible".
The hope for Brits and Americans alike is for the "special" relationship, as Trump has called it in the past, to get back on track with the visit of the Royals.
Despite the hope for a good start, it seems like the King was "telling off Trump" within moments of greeting each other.
Lip reader Nicola Hinkling told the Daily Mail that while they were making small talk as they posed for snaps in the sun, they weren't just making small talk.
She claimed that the President said: “This shooting…”
King Charles then reportedly responded: “I'd rather not stand about here too long.
“I feel I shouldn't be here.”
Trump then asked if the King was okay, adding: “It’s not a good thing.
“I wasn’t prepared, but now I am prepared.”
The US leader then changed the subject, speaking about being in touch with Russian President Vladimir Putin: “He wants war,” it's claimed he said.
Hinkling then believes the King replied, saying: “We will discuss that later.”
Trump wasn't pleased with this suggestion though, continuing: “I've got a feeling… if he did what he said, he will wipe out the population.”
But Charles stood firm, again reiterating: “Another time.”
The President then seemingly got the hint, changing the topic to the White House ballroom project, explaining: “You can see right through there,
“Right the way through to the ballroom. Would you like to see?”
The King then said he was "sure" they would be shown it, while laughing, as Trump admitted: “That's right, you're right.”
Speaking to CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell on 60 Minutes, Trump said the delay was largely his own doing.
The 79-year-old revealed that he initially resisted leaving as he wanted to understand what was happening.
He explained: "Well, what happened is, it was a little bit me,
"I wanted to see what was happening, and I wasn’t making it that easy for them.
"I wanted to see what was going on. And by that time, we started to realize maybe it was a bad problem, a different kind of problem, a bad one," he went on.
"And I was surrounded by great people, and I probably made them act a little bit more slowly. I said, 'Wait a minute, wait a minute. Let me see, wait a minute.'"
But once Trump decided to move, agents ordered him and First Lady Melania Trump to get down.
The President recalled: "Then, I started walking with them. I turned, I started walking. And they said, 'Please go down. Please go down on the floor.'
"So I went down, and the First Lady went down, also. But we were asked to go down by the agents as I was walking."
