The King’s US state visit will go ahead as planned in the wake of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “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.
“The King and Queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case and are looking forward to the visit getting under way tomorrow.”
The White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was thrown into chaos on Saturday night after an attempted attack, which saw shots fired, prompting the US President to be swiftly evacuated by Secret Service agents along with other senior members of his administration.
King Charles’ security was reviewed following the attack ahead of his four-day visit with Camilla on Monday.
Speaking to Fox News on Sunday about the King’s state visit – which is due to take place next week – Mr Trump said: “He’s coming and we’re going to have a great time.”
He added: “He’s a great guy, and we look forward to it. He’s really a fantastic person and a tremendous representative, and he’s brave.
“We’re gonna have a great time. And he represents his nation like nobody else can do it.”
Trumps comments came after a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said that discussions will be taking place throughout the day with US colleagues to review “what degree the events of Saturday evening may or may not impact on the operational planning for the visit”.
The historic visit, the King’s first visit to the US as monarch, will mark the 250th anniversary of American independence and herald the start of celebrations across the US.
The royal couple, who will begin their visit with a private tea hosted by the president and first lady, will also commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks that brought down New York’s Twin Towers.
It is understood that the King and Queen have reached out privately to the US president and first lady to express their sympathies with all those affected by the shooting and their gratitude to the security services who prevented further injury.
Meanwhile, the prime minister, who has had an increasingly fractious relationship with the US president as a result of the UK’s refusal to be dragged into the Iran war, sent a message to Mr Trump “in solidarity” after the incident.
More follows…
