King CharlesandQueen Camillaare commemorating 250 years of American independence with ahistoric tripto the U.S.
This is Charles' first state visit since becoming monarch in 2022, but British royals have been touring the U.S. for decades.
"For my part, I havealways admiredthe ingenuity of the American people, and the principles of freedom which your great democracy has represented since its inception," Charles said at a September 2025 banquet honoring PresidentDonald Trumpand first ladyMelania Trump. "Throughout my life, from my very first visit to the United States in 1970 and over 20 visits since that time, I have cherished the close ties between the British and American peoples."
As the King makes his way through Washington, D.C., New York City and more, here's a look back at some of the most iconic moments from past royal visits, including whenPrincess Dianadanced withJohn TravoltaandLeBron JamesmetPrince WilliamandKate Middleton.
King George and his wife, Queen Elizabeth, make history with the Roosevelts
In June 1939, King George and his wife, Elizabeth, — the parents of the lateQueen Elizabeth— made history as the first reigning British monarchs to visit the U.S.
They were invited by President Franklin D. Roosevelt when he learned that the royal couple were planning a trip to Canada. He wrote them, extending an invite for some days of "rest and relaxation" at his Hyde Park estate in New York.
During their visit to Hyde Park, they had a picnic where hot dogs were served, which George ate "with gusto," historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. said, perThe New York Times. Elizabeth ate hers with a fork and knife.
Queen Elizabeth attends her first American football game
On Oct. 19, 1957, Elizabeth attended her first and only American football game at the University of Maryland.
The event — which saw the University of Maryland take on the University of North Carolina – was dubbed the "Queen's Game," and according to theUniversity of Marylandarchives, the Queen andPrince Philipwere given an autographed football, along with a replica of the coin from the toss, by each of the team captains.
University of Maryland president Wilson Elkins said Elizabeth was "most interested in the difference between the English Rugby and the American game," according to the school'slibraries.
Prince Charles and Princess Anne visit the Nixon White House
In 1970, then-Prince Charles made his first visit to the U.S., when President Richard Nixon invited him and his sister, Princess Anne, for an official visit to the White House.
Nixon did it not only to keep relations strong between the U.K. and U.S., but he also hoped for a romantic connection between Charles and his eldest daughter, Tricia.
Decades later, King Charlesmade a joke about the visitduring a state banquet speech in September 2025, saying, "In fact, had the media succeeded in the 1970s in their own attempt at deepening the special relationship, I myself might have been married off within the Nixon family!"
Prince Charles and Barbra Streisand form a friendship
Charles andBarbra Streisandhad a friendship that began in 1974, when they were both in San Diego.
The then-prince was serving in the Royal Navy at the time and asked to meet the singer, who was recording the soundtrack forFunny Lady.
"The prince was utterly charming when he came to the studio, but frankly, it’s hard to have a real conversation when you’re surrounded by fifty photographers snapping pictures,” Streisand wrote in her 2023My Name Is Barbramemoir, perEntertainment Weekly. "I was drinking tea and offered him a sip ... and the future king of England actually drank from my cup, which was apparently unprecedented."
The two struck up a friendship, something that has lasted for decades since their initial meeting.
Queen Elizabeth celebrates the American bicentennial with President Ford
Queen Elizabeth visited the U.S. again in 1976, this time in honor of the American bicentennial.
On July 7, 1976, President Gerald Ford and first lady Betty Ford hosted a state dinner for the Queen and Prince Philip, which included entertainment by Bob Hope and Telly Savalas, as requested by the Queen.
Princess Diana and John Travolta share a dance
Diana shared a dance with Travolta when she visited the White House in 1985.
At the event, first lady Nancy Reagan told Travolta that it was Diana's fantasyto dance withtheSaturday Night Feverstar, he later recalled. After he asked her to dance, Travolta said, "The whole room cleared."
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"We danced for what felt like 15 minutes," he said in the 2021 PBS specialIn Their Own Words: Diana, Princess of Wales.
"It was a storybook moment," Travolta continued. "We bowed when it was over, and, you know, she was off, and I was off, and my carriage turned into a pumpkin."
Prince Charles takes on Texas
In 1986, Charles visited the Lone Star State in honor of the Republic of Texas' 150th anniversary.
During his four-day trip, Charles met with Texas celebrities like Lady Bird Johnson and Willie Nelson, according toCBS Austin.
Queen Elizabeth addresses Congress
During his April 2026 trip to the U.S., King Charles delivered an address to Congress, being the second British monarch to do so.
The first was his mother, Queen Elizabeth, during a state visit in 1991.
Princess Diana dances with Phil Donahue
In June 1996, Diana visited Chicago for three days to raise money for cancer research.
Diana was the guest of honor at a fundraising gala held at the Field Museum of Natural History, where she danced with talk show hostPhil Donahue.
"I love Chicago. It’s been wonderful," Diana said when she boarded her flight home, according toNorthwestern University.
Queen Elizabeth's last state visit to U.S.
Before King Charles' historic state visit, the last time a British monarch set foot in the White House was in 2007, when President George W. Bush hosted Queen Elizabeth.
Her six-day visit included time spent in Virginia and the Kentucky Derby, before arriving in Washington, D.C., according toTIME. The Queen's 2007 trip would also be her final state visit to the U.S. before her death in 2022.
Prince William and Kate walk the red carpet
Prince William and Kate went Hollywood while on a North American tour in July 2011. The royal couple attended the BAFTAs' “Brits to Watch” event, highlighting rising stars from the U.K.
The glamorous outing came just a few months after theirroyal weddingin April 2011.
Prince William and Kate meet LeBron James
The royal couple came back to the States in 2014, this time on the East Coast, where they attended a basketball game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Brooklyn, N.Y.
At the game, Prince William and Kate met big stars likeBeyoncé,Jay-ZandLeBron James,who giftedthe couple a jersey for their young son,Prince George.
Prince Harry and Michelle Obama at the Invictus Games
Prince HarryandMichelle Obamawere on handto kick offthe second annual Invictus Games at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla.
William and Kate sit courtside in Boston
The royal couple made a surprise appearance at the TD Garden in Boston to watch the Celtics play the Miami Heat in 2022.
William and Kate were in Boston for theEarthshot Prize Awards ceremony.
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