King Charles III will head to the White House Tuesday afternoon to meet with President Trump after a man opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD) on Saturday evening.
“Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day, and acting on advice of Government, we can confirm the State Visit by Their Majesties will proceed as planned,” said a Buckingham Palace spokesperson on Sunday.
President Donald Trump, the first lady and administration officials were evacuated from the Washington Hilton ballroom shortly after the WCHD began when a suspect rushed a security checkpoint and opened fire on Secret Service agents. The investigation is ongoing, and the agent is expected to recover.
King Charles’ first U.S. visit remains on track, officials close to the matter told Fox News Digital.
Secret Service chief of communications Anthony Guglielmi told Fox News Digital that “the protective model for [Saturday] night’s event proved effective. The key takeaway for future events is that enhancements should be expected at every level, as that is how the model is designed to function.”
“Every protective decision is driven by intelligence amid a dynamic and currently elevated threat environment. We are actively focused on identifying the trigger for this incident and fully understanding the factors that led to it,” he added when asked about security measures for the visit.
The four-day trip aims to mark America’s 250th birthday — which celebrates the nation’s freedom from British rule. Charles’ visit comes against the backdrop of the war with Iran and criticism from Trump of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“It’s been 87 years since King George VI became the first king to ever step foot on American soil, and next week King Charles III will become the second British king to ever visit the Land of the Free,” former advisor to Prime Minister Boris Johnson Thomas Corbett-Dillon told Fox News Digital.
The visit will kick off Monday morning with a formal ceremony at the White House and a ceremonial military review. The King and Queen will participate in several events, including a private tea.
“This is a monumental occasion, coming 250 years since the revolutionaries declared themselves free from the rule of the British crown. They now welcome that same crown with love, adoration, and open arms,” said Corbett-Dillon.
Charles will deliver an address to Congress after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, first delivered a speech at the Capitol during a state visit to the U.S. in 1991.
The last king to visit the U.S. was King George VI in 1939, when he traveled with Queen Elizabeth to strengthen ties prior to World War II.
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“The King is making one of the most politically sensitive trips of his life, visiting a White House that has publicly denounced his own Prime Minister on multiple occasions,” said Corbett-Dillon.
While the visit will celebrate the U.S.-U.K. alliance, it also unfolds at a politically sensitive moment, with tensions lingering over Iran and Trump’s public criticism of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“This is not Winston Churchill we are dealing with,” said Trump on March 3. “By the way, I’m not happy with the U.K. either,” the president continued, referring to Starmer blocking the United States’ use of U.K. bases to launch attacks on Iran.
Trump’s frustration with Starmer stems from Britain’s refusal to fully join the U.S. campaign against Iran, and has urged U.S. allies to get involved militarily or operationally, particularly around protecting oil shipments in the Strait of Hormuz.
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“The president may be tempted to push the king to back him in Iran,” Corbett-Dillon said.
The monarch’s visit follows Trump’s state visit to the U.K. in September.
“The special relationship remains above the day-to-day politics of our two nations and is cemented in our shared heritage and history,” said Corbett-Dillon.
Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman, Stephanie Nolasco and Ashley Papa contributed to this report.
