King’s trip to see Trump: How the royals charmed the Americans on their travels

The King’s historic state visit to see Donald Trump is his first tour to the US as monarch, and the first state visit by a British sovereign to America for nearly 20 years.

Queen Elizabeth II’s final state visit to the US – her fourth – took place in 2007, when President George W Bush winked at her on the White House lawn after making one of his famous gaffes.

Washington DC was also the scene of “Podiumgate” in 1991 when all that could be seen of Elizabeth II above a lectern and microphones was her hat.

The long-expected announcement confirming the King’s official visit to the US in late April follows public debate over whether the tour should be cancelled or delayed because of the Iran war.

US president Mr Trump has branded the UK’s approach to the conflict “terrible” and repeatedly lashed out at Sir Keir Starmer, including describing him as “not Winston Churchill”, with the special relationship between the two allied nations appearing increasingly strained.

But the royal family’s soft power diplomacy is viewed as an important and unique way of engaging with the billionaire-turned-politician, who is well known for his love of the monarchy.

Charles has visited the US 19 times on official visits as the Prince of Wales, not including private trips, but not yet as monarch, and not since his youngest son the Duke of Sussex quit the monarchy and decamped to California six years ago.

Harry has lived in the US since 2020 with his wife the Duchess of Sussex, and their two children – the King’s youngest grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Charles last ventured to America as the Prince of Wales to attend former president George Bush Senior’s funeral in 2018, and before that carried out a four-day official visit with the then-Duchess of Cornwall in 2015.

It was also where Charles and Camilla carried out their first joint overseas tour as a married couple in 2005, amid nervousness about how the duchess would be received in light of the late Diana, Princess of Wales’s popularity in the country.

Diana enchanted American fans in the 1980s.

The young princess, in an off-the-shoulder midnight blue velvet Victor Edelstein dress, and sapphire and diamond choker, took to the floor with Saturday Night Fever star John Travolta at a glitzy White House dinner in 1985.

Diana not only overshadowed her accompanying husband Charles but also drew attention away from a slip up by then-president Ronald Reagan, when he seemingly forgot her name and referred to her as “Princess David”.

The present Prince and Princess of Wales, then the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, stopped off in the US in 2011 during their first joint royal overseas tour which also took in Canada.

They travelled to Los Angeles for a glamorous Bafta reception with Hollywood stars including Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Lopez.

The couple also went to New York in 2014, when Kate was pregnant with Princess Charlotte, for a three-day tour.

William and Kate travelled to Boston in 2022 for the Earthshot Awards, while William made a solo trip to New York in 2023 – but the Waleses have never visited Harry in the US amid William’s ongoing rift with his younger brother.

Queen Elizabeth II briefly visited New York in 2010 for the day, when she addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations and visited Ground Zero on an official but not a state visit, after a tour to Canada.

In 2007, President George W Bush hosted the Queen for a six-day state visit, which commemorated the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, America’s first permanent English settlement.

At a welcome ceremony on the south lawn of the White House, Mr Bush mixed up the dates of US’s previous bicentenary in a speech – ageing the Queen by almost 200 years.

Addressing more than 7,000 politicians, diplomats, Oval Office staff and their families, Mr Bush said of the monarch: “You helped our nation to celebrate its bicentennial in 17… 1976.

The crowd laughed and the president paused, turned to the Queen and winked.

He turned back to the lectern and quipped: “She gave me a look that only a mother could give a child.”

The late Queen made a state visit to the White House in 1991 in the wake of the Gulf war when Mr Bush’s father, George Bush Snr, was in power.

Readers of the Miami Herald were urged to wear special souvenir cut-out face masks of the Queen during the trip, branding the celebrations “monarchmania”.

The then-Queen, accompanied by Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, went on to Texan state capital Austin where 15,000 people packed on to a lawn to see her.

And Washington was the scene of “Podiumgate”.

When Elizabeth II delivered a speech on the lawn of the White House all that could be seen of her above the podium and microphones was her hat.

The hiccup occurred after someone forgot to put a small step in place ready for the 5ft 4in royal VIP.

Two days later, the Queen quipped as she delivered the first address by a British sovereign to a joint meeting of Congress: “I do hope you can see me today.”

The Queen praised Mr Bush Snr for his “outstanding leadership” in the Gulf conflict.

She also gave reassurances about post-war problems, saying: “Great enterprises seldom end with a tidy and satisfactory flourish.”

In 1983, the late Queen and Philip travelled to California to see former film star-turned politician president Ronald Reagan on a royal but not state visit.

Hollywood glitz and glamour ensued including a dinner at 20th Century Fox on the stage where hit TV series M.A.S.H. was filmed, with guests such as Fred Astaire, Bette Davis and Dame Joan Collins.

There was a tornado in Los Angeles and plans for Britannia to sail to Santa Barbara were changed. There were pro-IRA demonstrations in San Francisco.

The Queen and Philip also visited Yosemite National Park.

In 1976, their state visit began in Philadelphia to mark the 200th anniversary of the United States’ independence of Britain.

They were guests of the president Gerald Ford and also travelled to Boston. Again there were pro-IRA demos.

The royal couple received a ticker tape welcome in New York.

In 1957, the late Queen paid her first state visit to America as monarch. She was just 31. She visited Washington DC, New York and Virginia.

She was deemed by the New York Times to be a “dignified and appealing figure” and described by the Daily News as “a young woman of poise, reserve and impeccable dignity”.

In June 1939, the Queen’s father, George VI, visited America and won the heart of Britain’s future ally against Hitler by sharing an informal picnic with president Franklin D Roosevelt, drinking beer on the lawn and eating a hot dog.