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King Charles will not be reuniting with his son, Prince Harry, when the monarch visits the United States.
On March 31, Buckingham Palace announced that the king and Queen Camilla would travel to the U.S. in late April to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence. The ceremonial event has received calls to be canceled due to President Donald Trump’s criticism of the British government for failing to support military operations involving Iran, The Associated Press reported.
The visit will also mark the second time that a British monarch has addressed Congress. The first was the king’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who delivered a speech at the Capitol during a state visit to the U.S. in 1991.
KING CHARLES’ ‘HIGH-STAKES’ US VISIT TESTS HISTORIC ALLIANCE, COULD SHAPE HIS REIGN: EXPERTS
From left: Sir Timothy Laurence, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and King Charles III walk behind the coffin during the procession for the lying-in State of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 14, 2022, in London. The Duke of Sussex and the monarch last reunited in September 2025. (Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images)
Trump announced that the king and queen will visit from April 27 to 30. A state banquet will take place at the White House on April 28.
“The state visit of King Charles and Queen Camilla is of pivotal importance with Anglo-American relations at a low ebb,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital.
The former Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, attend the “Our Planet” global premiere at the Natural History Museum in London on April 4, 2019. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
“It is also about the shared history of the two countries over 250 years. It will emphasize, as such occasions do, the mutual sacrifice in war, the enriching cultural links, and what the world’s most powerful nation and Britain do have in common, which means they have special links.”
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A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex confirmed to Fox News Digital that father and son will not be meeting, noting that the monarch will be in the U.S. on a working state visit, “not a holiday.”
A source previously told People magazine that the trip is tightly choreographed and that there is an understanding on both sides.
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Britain’s King Charles III at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, on Sept. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“When you’re talking about a state visit, every minute is accounted for — especially when it’s the king traveling as the invited guest of a head of state,” said the source.
King Charles III attends a reception at the British Museum in London on April 21, 2026, to view the final design for the national memorial to the late Queen Elizabeth II on the 100th anniversary of her birth. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
“Harry knows how things are and wouldn’t ask for that either under these circumstances.”
The king’s visit follows Trump’s state visit to the U.K. in September. It was a glittering occasion that was seen as part of Britain’s effort to nurture the special relationship between the two countries.
King Charles III stands beside President Donald Trump delivering a speech at the state banquet during Trump’s second UK state visit at Windsor Castle on Sept. 17, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool/Getty Images)
“I look forward to spending time with the king, whom I greatly respect,” said Trump in his recent statement.
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Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, delivers a speech during the Kyiv Security Forum in Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 23, 2026. (Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine)
While Charles and Harry will not be seeing each other, the visit will bring the monarch to the country that his younger son has called home for six years.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals, citing the unbearable intrusions of the British press and a lack of support from the palace. The couple resides in Southern California with their son, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attend the Commonwealth Day Service in London on March 9, 2020. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Harry, 41, has returned to his home country several times for court proceedings and charity work. He reunited with his father in September 2025. It was the first time in 19 months they’d seen each other in person.
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, leaves the Royal British Legion Centre for Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College London on Sept. 10, 2025, during a four-day visit to the United Kingdom for charitable engagements. (Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu)
A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace confirmed to Fox News Digital that at the time, they spent about an hour together over private tea at Clarence House, the king and queen’s London residence.
Shannon Felton Spence, former head of Politics and Communication at the British Consulate General of New England, told Fox News Digital that the primary focus is wholly on the state visit, one where every minute is accounted for.
U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump pose with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle during a state visit on Sept. 18, 2025, in Windsor, England. (Kevin Lamarque – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“The king will be in the U.S. at the invitation of President Trump,” Felton Spence explained. “He will be on official business as head of state, and to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. Therefore, the program and guest lists are controlled by the State Department and the U.K.’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.”
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King Charles III (left) and US President Donald Trump (right) inspect the Guard of Honour during the state visit by the President of the United States of America at Windsor Castle on Sept. 17, 2025, in Windsor, England. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“This is very different from a normal royal visit, and it’s entirely different from a private trip,” she said. “There is a lot hinging on this trip between the U.S. and the U.K., which have incredibly frayed relations at the moment. Every aspect of the program will be diplomatically strategic and coordinated.”
Charles and Camilla’s U.S. trip will include stops in Washington, D.C., New York City, and Virginia, People magazine reported. While in D.C., the king and queen will participate in several events, including a private tea with Trump and first lady Melania Trump, as well as a formal ceremony at the White House and a ceremonial military review.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend the 2026 Easter service at St. George’s Chapel on April 5, 2026, in Windsor, England. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
In New York City, the royals will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks later this year, the outlet reported. They will meet with first responders and the families of the victims.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive for the Royal Maundy Service at St. Asaph Cathedral in St Asaph, Wales, on April 2, 2026. (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press)
In Virginia, the king and queen will attend a block party to celebrate America’s birthday. Charles will also visit a national park, while Camilla explores a farm to highlight the work of America’s horse racing industry.
Queen Camilla and first lady Melania Trump tour the Royal Library in Windsor, England, on Sept. 18, 2025. (Aaron Chown/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
After their U.S. tour wraps up, the royals will travel to Bermuda. It will be Charles’ first trip as monarch to an overseas British territory, the outlet reported.
Fitzwilliams said the itinerary was planned “with meticulous care” far in advance.
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King Charles hosted President Trump to a state dinner during his second presidency in 2025. (Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“The focus must be on the principals,” Fitzwilliams stressed. “There is simply no place for Prince Harry in this plan. It is essential that they focus on the host and visitors only, not on a situation where attention could be diverted by a media frenzy. This has to be avoided.”
He noted there will be plenty to look forward to on both sides.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, arrives at a London courtroom on Jan. 21, 2026, as he pursues legal action against Daily Mail publishers over alleged unlawful information gathering between 1993 and 2011. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
“The president is a showman who loves royalty, so it will be spectacular,” said Fitzwilliams. “It is also extremely important for America and Britain’s future relations. The presence of the Sussexes would detract from that, and so, it cannot be contemplated.”
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, are seen visiting the Royal Children’s Hospital on April 14, 2026, in Melbourne, Australia. (Jonathan Brady-Pool/Getty Images)
Harry’s September meeting with his father marked their first in-person reunion since February 2024. At that time, Harry visited King Charles after the monarch announced he was undergoing cancer treatment. It’s understood that Charles is continuing his treatment this year.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, gives a thumbs up while Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, smiles and leans on him during the sitting volleyball match between Poland and Germany at the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Sept. 15, 2023. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
The outlet noted there is speculation that father and son could see each other again when Harry returns to the UK in July 2026 for events tied to the Invictus Games. Those engagements will celebrate the one-year countdown to the Birmingham 2027 Invictus Games.
According to the outlet, it’s not known whether the Duchess of Sussex and their children will join him for that trip.