King Charles’s US state visit will go ahead as planned after Washington shooting, Buckingham Palace says
The King’s US state visit will go ahead as planned following the White House Correspondents’ Dinner attack.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic throughout the day, and acting on advice from the Government, we can confirm that Her Majesty’s State Visit will proceed as planned.
“The King and Queen are grateful to everyone who has worked quickly to ensure this remains the case and look forward to the visit starting tomorrow.”
The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was thrown into chaos Saturday night following an attempted attack that led to gunfire and caused the President, along with other senior members of his administration, to be quickly evacuated by Secret Service agents.
King Charles’ security was reviewed following the attack ahead of his four-day visit with Camilla on Monday.
Following the attack, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said they would review with their US counterparts throughout the day “the extent to which the events of Saturday evening may or may not affect the operational planning of the visit”.
Speaking to Fox News on Sunday about the King’s state visit next week, Mr Trump said: “He’s coming and we’re going to have a great time.”
She added: “He’s a great guy and we’re looking forward to it. He’s a really great person, a great representative and brave.”
“We’re going to have a great time. And he represents his nation like no one else can.”
But the program will “proceed as planned” following controversy on both sides of the Atlantic following what the White House called an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump.
Mr. Trump, attending the annual dinner for the first time as president, vowed at a late-night news conference after the shooting to reschedule the disrupted event, which he said had left political opponents and the media “united.”
This historic visit, the King’s first to the United States as a monarch, will mark the 250th anniversary of American independence and herald the beginning of celebrations across the United States.
The royal couple, who will begin their visit with a private tea hosted by the president and his wife, will also commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks that destroyed the New York Twin Towers.
Later, Mr Trump and the King will hold talks in the White House’s famous Oval Office, while Camilla and Melania Trump will attend an event together.
The King and Queen are understood to have contacted the US president and first lady privately to express their sympathy to everyone affected by the attack and their gratitude to the security services who prevented further injuries.
More to follow…
