The King has met a host of British people living in the US at a rare event in Washington – a royal garden party.
King Charles and Queen Camilla attended the event at the residence of the UK ambassador to the US soon after touching down in the country for a four day State Visit.
And the unusual event provided a link between King Charles and his beloved grandfather, King George VI.
For one of the first events held at the residence after it was officially opened was a garden party, held when George VI and Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother, arrived for their own State Visit.
Along with Queen Camilla, The King met some of the many British people who live and work in the US capital. Among those he chatted with was Olympic gold medallist, Tom Daley, who lives in Los Angeles. The diving star later revealed that he had chatted about one of his other great passions with King Charles – knitting.
Tom Daley is campaigning to get it on to school curriculums and he shared that King Charles told him he had tried the craft as a child but hadn’t succeeded.
The garden party followed the first welcome to the White House from Donald and Melania Trump who greeted King Charles and Queen Camilla soon after they touched down in the US.
The King and Queen arrived at the White House where they were greeted by the US President and First Lady and the first of many official photos were taken.
King Charles and Queen Camilla then took tea with their hosts inside the White House with conversation flowing so freely that the event overran by quite some time.
Under the spring sunshine of Washington, the four then took a walk across the lawns of the White House to see the First Lady’s latest innovation – a beehive shaped as the official residence of the US President.
The mini White House is now home to some of the tens of thousands of bees in the colony kept there. King Charles and Queen Camilla, both keen beekeepers themselves, were shown some of the honey produced there and inspected the new hive.
The King and Queen had earlier arrived in Maryland at the start of the historic visit which has been seen as crucial for relations between the UK and US. To cement ties, Queen Camilla chose an unusual and rarely seen brooch from the royal collection. The diamond studded jewel is shaped as a Union Flag and Stars and Stripes flag, intertwined.
It was presented to Queen Elizabeth II during her first State Visit to the US in 1957. It was a gift from the then Mayor of New York, Robert F. Wagner, and his wife.
Their four day itinerary will also take them to New York and Virginia.
