US President Donald Trump has assured that King Charles III will be “very safe” during his upcoming state visit to the United States, which begins on Monday, as security discussions continue between British and American officials.
The comments follow renewed security consultations between the White House and Buckingham Palace after a gunman reportedly gained access to an event attended by Trump in Washington DC on Saturday.
Speaking in an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes, Trump said the grounds of the White House were highly secure and dismissed concerns over the royal visit.
“The White House grounds are really safe,” he said, adding, “He’ll be very safe.”
The four-day state visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla will proceed largely as planned, according to Buckingham Palace, with both UK and US officials describing the trip as an important diplomatic engagement.
The visit is expected to include a reception at the White House hosted by Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, followed by a series of ceremonial and symbolic engagements across Washington DC, New York, and Virginia.
UK officials say the visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, with Britain’s ambassador to the US, Sir Christian Turner, describing it as an opportunity to “renew and revitalise a unique friendship” between the two countries.
He noted that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had spoken with Trump ahead of the trip and confirmed that the programme would proceed as planned.
The King and Queen also privately expressed their sympathies to the Trumps following the recent security incident in Washington, during which a Secret Service agent was injured and the US president and his wife were briefly evacuated.
Trump praised the monarch, calling him “a great guy” and saying he was looking forward to the visit. “He’s really a fantastic person and a tremendous representative,” he said in a separate Fox News interview.
The visit is expected to include formal talks, ceremonial events, and a symbolic appearance at the 9/11 Memorial in New York, with UK officials highlighting themes of shared history, defence cooperation, and economic ties.
However, the trip has sparked mixed political reactions in the UK, with some opposition figures questioning the diplomatic timing, while others have defended the visit as an important symbol of continued US-UK relations.
