King Charles’ state visit to the United States will go ahead as planned on Monday, despite a shooting near a political dinner in Washington attended by US President Donald Trump, Buckingham Palace confirmed after consulting US officials.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are expected to arrive on their four-day visit, which includes meetings with senior American leaders and a planned address to Congress to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence. The visit was briefly under scrutiny after a shooting near the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner forced Secret Service agents to chase Trump from the venue.
According to Reuters, a Buckingham Palace spokesman confirmed the trip would go ahead, saying: “Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic throughout the day and based on government advice, we can confirm that Her Majesty’s state visit will go ahead as planned.”
Security guarantees after the incident in Washington
US authorities said the shooting was believed to be an attempt to target Trump and government officials. Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche said he was confident the royal visit would be safe, despite heightened security concerns in Washington.
Blanche also said the King Charles plan remains safe under existing safeguards coordinated between British and US security agencies.
Minor changes to the itinerary are possible
Citing a palace source, Reuters said there could be “small operational changes” to some contracts depending on evolving security assessments, but no major changes were expected.
The palace added that the King and Queen were “looking forward to the start of the visit” and were grateful to officials on both sides who worked quickly to keep the program intact.
Royal response to Washington attack
After the incident, Charles and Camilla reportedly expressed private sympathy to Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. The palace said the king had been fully informed of the development and was relieved that no guests were seriously injured.
The visit comes at a sensitive diplomatic moment with ongoing global tensions including the Iran conflict and wider geopolitical friction between Washington and London.
Security breach and chaotic evacuation
The attack at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner unfolded shortly after the dinner began, prompting Secret Service agents to evacuate Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Cabinet officials and hundreds of guests from the ballroom.
Officials said the shooter, Cole Tomas Allen, fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent near the checkpoint before being tackled and arrested. The injured agent was protected by a bulletproof vest and did not suffer life-threatening injuries.
Trump later said he initially mistook the sound for an accident before realizing it was gunfire.
Travel and preparation details
Authorities said Allen traveled from Los Angeles to Chicago and then Washington by train before checking into the Hilton before the event. He was allegedly armed with a shotgun, a handgun and several knives.
Officials also said the suspect had purchased firearms legally in recent years.
Background and online profile
Law enforcement and public records cited by the AP indicated that Allen was a highly educated teacher and computer science graduate with no prior criminal record. He reportedly had a master’s degree in computer science and worked in educational services while developing video game projects.
