Camille Naredo

US President Donald Trump and Britain's King Charles III shake hands during an arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 28, 2026. Henry Nicholls, AFP

US President Donald Trump and Britain's King Charles III shake hands during an arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 28, 2026. (Photo by Henry NICHOLLS / AFP)

Article (news)

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<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1777393122149AFP__20260428__A9943CG__v2__HighRes__776489600.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="US President Donald Trump and Britain&#x27;s King Charles III shake hands during an arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 28, 2026. Henry Nicholls, AFP" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">US President Donald Trump and Britain&#x27;s King Charles III shake hands during an arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 28, 2026. <em>Henry Nicholls, AFP</em></span></span></span></div><p>WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States has &quot;no closer friends&quot; than the British, as he welcomed King Charles III to the White House on a state visit overshadowed by tensions over the Iran war.</p><p>In speech during a pomp-filled welcome featuring a 21-gun salute, Trump&#x27;s tone was a world away from the recent broadsides aimed at Britain&#x27;s government for failing to join the conflict with Tehran.</p><p>&quot;In the centuries since we won our independence, Americans have had no closer friends than the British,&quot; said Trump, referring to the fact that the visit marks the 250th anniversary of the US colonies declaring their freedom from British rule.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/4/28/britain-s-king-charles-meets-trump-in-bid-to-salvage-ties-0853">READ: Britain&#x27;s King Charles meets Trump in bid to salvage ties</a></div><p>Using a phrase prized by British governments since Winston Churchill first used it after World War II, Trump said that the two countries had a &quot;special relationship, and we hope it will always remain that way.&quot;</p><p>The US leader also praised the British military, saying that &quot;nobody fought better together&quot; with the United States -- despite recently deriding Britain&#x27;s two aircraft carriers as &quot;toys.&quot;</p><p>After his speech, four US jets roared over the White House in a noisy flypast as Trump, Charles, Queen Camilla and First Lady Melania Trump watched.</p><p>On the second day of the four-day state visit, Charles will later address the US Congress and is expected to call in his speech for &quot;reconciliation and renewal&quot; amid the recent strains in ties.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>- &#x27;Beautiful British day&#x27; -</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d1ZhTrv6nko?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>A long-term fan of the British royals, Trump appeared in a jovial mood on a rainy Washington morning as he looked to the sky and quipped: &quot;What a beautiful British day this is.&quot;</p><p>The 79-year-old president even joked about how his late mother &quot;had a crush on Charles&quot;, who is now 77.</p><p>Cannons rang out while a military band played &quot;God Save the King,&quot; the British national anthem, and the Star Spangled Banner, the anthem of the United States.</p><p>Charles shook hands with top Trump administration officials including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.</p><p>The king and the president -- who received his own state visit to Britain last September -- inspected troops from different branches of the US armed forces.</p><p>A band of soldiers dressed in uniforms from the Revolutionary War that drove the British out of America two and a half centuries ago then marched past, playing fife and drums.</p><p>As the ceremony unfolded, construction noise could be heard from the site of the huge $400 million ballroom that Trump is building at the White House.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/9/17/britain-rolls-out-royal-red-carpet-for-trump-s-state-visit-1059">READ: Britain rolls out royal red carpet for Trump&#x27;s state visit</a></div><p>The Trumps are next due to host the royals in the Oval Office behind closed doors. In the evening they will return to the White House for a grand state dinner.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>- Tight security -</strong></div><p>Security has been tight for the visit, which comes just days after a shooting at a White House Correspondents Dinner attended by Trump.</p><p>The first day of the trip featured a more informal welcome, with the Trumps treating Charles and Camilla to tea and cakes in the White House before showing them beehives on the famed lawn.</p><p>But the second day will feature perhaps the most public-facing moment, when Charles becomes the first British monarch to address Congress since his mother, Queen Elizabeth, in 1991.</p><p>It comes at a delicate moment after Trump raged over London&#x27;s refusal to help with his war in Iran.</p><p>In the 20-minute speech, Charles is expected to appeal to Trump in guarded terms, saying that defending common democratic ideals is &quot;crucial for liberty and equality.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Time and again, our two countries have always found ways to come together,&quot; he is expected to say.</p><p>But he will have his work cut out to placate the mercurial Republican in the longer term.</p><p>Trump has repeatedly lambasted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his war opposition, alongside the country&#x27;s immigration and energy policies.</p>

<p>President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States has "no closer friends" than the British, as he welcomed King Charles III to the White House on a state visit overshadowed by tensions over the Iran war.</p>

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States has "no closer friends" than the British, as he welcomed King Charles III to the White House on a state visit overshadowed by tensions over the Iran war.

Trump hails British as 'friends' as king visits amid Iran tensions

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Trump hails British as 'friends' as king visits amid Iran tensions

Danny Kemp,

Agence France-Presse

Published April 29, 2026 01:07 AM PHT

|

Updated April 29, 2026 01:55 AM PHT

Read More:

Washington

United States

White House

Donald Trump

King Charles

Queen Camilla

Melania Trump

diplomacy

Iran

Middle East

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