King Charles to make maiden Bermuda tour as sovereign after US trip
- By Maria Lopez -
- Apr 28, 2026
To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and celebrate the close relations between the two countries, King Charles and Queen Elizabeth are conducting a state visit to the United States from April 27 to April 30. Following this engagement, the King will make his first visit as sovereign to Bermuda from May 1 to May 2. Their Majesties began the state visit by arriving in Washington, D.C., where they were greeted at Joint Base Andrews by the United States Chief of Protocol, Ambassador Monica Crowley, and the British Ambassador to the United States, Sir Christian Turner.
Before being welcomed by diplomatic, federal, and state leaders—including senior members of the British Embassy and representatives of the US government—Their Majesties received posies from children of British military families stationed in the United States. An honor cordon of US military personnel formed as the royal couple moved forward, and the national anthems of both nations were performed by a US military band.
The President of the United States, Mr. Donald J. Trump, and First Lady Melania Trump welcomed the King Charles and Queen at the White House Portico before entering for tea. During their time at the executive mansion, Their Majesties visited the White House beehives alongside the President and First Lady. Formalized in 2009, the beekeeping program is an enduring aspect of the White House grounds that helps pollinate neighboring plants. Their Majesties viewed the First Lady’s newly constructed beehive on the South Lawn, which is uniquely shaped like the White House and houses two new bee colonies.
The King and Queen later met guests representing the long-standing ties between the United States and the United Kingdom at a garden party held at the British Ambassador’s Residence. This event echoed history, as King George VI held the first garden party at the residence in June 1939. Before joining more than 600 visitors from the creative industries, community organizations, domestic violence charities, politics, science, and sustainability sectors, Their Majesties viewed a time capsule created to commemorate this year’s anniversary celebrations.
This capsule will be twinned with another that was placed beneath the George Washington statue in London’s Trafalgar Square in June of last year to launch the UK/US America 250 celebrations. The King and Queen had the opportunity to include a commemorative coin, created by the Royal Mint specifically for the occasion. The capsule also includes a proclamation from His Majesty and essays written by local Washington school children. Later this year, the capsule will be interred beneath the Washington Monument on the National Mall, where it will eventually be reopened to commemorate America’s quincentennial.