Buckingham Palace confirmed on Sunday, 26th April 2026, that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will proceed with their highly anticipated four-day state visit to the United States, beginning on Monday, despite a shooting that rattled Washington the night before.

A gunman opened fire while attempting to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday night, prompting President Trump to be rushed to safety.

The suspected shooter has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, and has been arrested and placed under investigation.

A security officer was struck by gunfire but was later released from the hospital, and no other injuries were reported.

Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic, Buckingham Palace issued a statement confirming that the visit would proceed.
“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 understood to have privately reached out to the Trumps to express their sympathies and to share their gratitude to the security services who prevented further injury.

A palace source at Buckingham noted there may be minor adjustments to one or two scheduled engagements, though the overall programme remains intact.

The four-day trip will include a state dinner and a visit to the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, and is designed to celebrate the historic relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States as America marks 250 years of independence.

King Charles will become the first British monarch to address Congress since his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, did so in 1991.

The visit takes on added significance amid strained transatlantic relations, with tensions between the Trump administration and Britain’s Labour government running high over the Iran war; acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said he was confident the King would be safe throughout the visit.