Two and a half centuries after the American colonies declared independence from Britain under King George III, his descendant King Charles III arrived in the United States on Monday (April 27, 2026) with trans-Atlantic ties under strain and security in the spotlight.

A shooting at a Washington dinner attended by President Donald Trump on Saturday (April 25) sparked a last-minute security review of the four-day state visit, intended to celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary, and the U.S.-U.K. “special relationship”.

Buckingham Palace said the King “is greatly relieved to hear that the President, First Lady and all guests have been unharmed”. After a security review, the palace said the trip “will proceed as planned”.

A rift between the U.K. Government and Mr. Trump over issues including the Iran war had already raised the political stakes for the British monarch’s visit.

In recent weeks, Mr. rump has lambasted Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his unwillingness to join U.S. military attacks on Iran, dismissing Britain’s leader as “not Winston Churchill,” the World War II Prime Minister who coined the phrase “special relationship” for the U.K.-U.S. bond.

It’s part of a wider rift between Mr. Trump and the United States’ NATO allies, whom he has called “cowards” and “useless” for not joining action against Iran.