King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in New York on Wednesday to pay tribute to those who died in the September 11, 2001, al Qaeda attacks, part of a four-day state visit to the United States.
The royal couple made their way to the 9/11 Memorial plaza in lower Manhattan, where security measures limited access and U.S. Secret Service personnel screened for weapons at designated entry points. Barricades surrounded the memorial area as the pair stopped at the waterfall-ringed reflecting pools that mark the former footprints of the World Trade Center twin towers.
At the memorial the king and queen placed a bouquet of flowers. A note attached to the arrangement, in the king’s handwriting, read:
"We honour the memory of all those who so tragically lost their lives on 11th September 2001, and stand in enduring solidarity with the American people in the face of such profound loss. Charles R Camilla R."
The visit to the memorial included planned conversations with relatives of victims of the attacks, which took nearly 2,800 lives in New York City. Officials said the royal couple would also meet New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the governors of New York and New Jersey during the ceremony.
Charles and Camilla’s arrival in New York followed a busy day in Washington on Tuesday. There the king delivered a speech to the U.S. Congress, held a private meeting with President Donald Trump, and spoke with leaders from the U.S. technology sector.
The state visit has taken place against a backdrop of tension in U.S.-U.K. relations connected to Iran. President Trump has repeatedly criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer, alleging insufficient cooperation in what Trump describes as prosecuting the Iran war. At a White House state dinner on Tuesday night, Trump said Charles agreed with him that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon. It could not be confirmed that the king had made that assertion directly to Trump.
Buckingham Palace issued a statement on Wednesday noting that, "The King is naturally mindful of his government’s long-standing and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation." The palace statement did not attribute the specific remark reported by the U.S. president to Charles.
The United Kingdom was among the countries that negotiated the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, which sharply limited Tehran’s nuclear programs and subjected them to inspections until the United States withdrew from the accord during President Trump’s earlier term. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful civilian purposes.
Following their visit to the 9/11 memorial, King Charles was scheduled to travel to Harlem to visit a grassroots community organization that operates a sustainable after-school urban farming program aimed at addressing food insecurity. Such urban agriculture and community food initiatives have been a longtime interest of the king, according to the itinerary.
Queen Camilla’s engagements in New York included a cultural appearance at the New York Public Library to mark the 100th birthday of A.A. Milne’s fictional character Winnie-the-Pooh on behalf of her charity, The Queen’s Reading Room. The palace described the event as a "literary engagement" and said it would include some 100 guests from British and U.S. literary, cultural and publishing circles.
Camilla was also scheduled to meet with representatives of charities working on domestic violence issues in the area.
The New York visit occurred on the third day of the royal couple’s state visit to the United States, a trip that is being held in the context of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of America’s declaration of independence from British rule. In his address to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday, King Charles emphasized the historical military and cultural ties between Britain and the United States. He also highlighted the importance of NATO and cautioned against American isolationism, remarks delivered as the U.S. president has criticized the Western military alliance for what he described as reluctance to provide military help to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.