King's US State Visit 'to proceed as planned', Buckingham Palace confirms following Trump 'assassination attempt'
Earlier we were told that the King is being “kept fully informed of developments” after a gunman opened fire at the White House Correspondents' Dinner last night.
Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles' and Queen Camilla's US state visit will 'proceed as planned' following another 'assassination attempt' on Donald Trump.
Listen to this article
Security concerns over the royals' upcoming four-day State Visit remain high in the wake of Saturday night's shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington DC.
The incident saw a gunman, identified by US authorities as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, attempt to storm the ballroom of the Washington Hilton hotel armed with guns and knives.
In a statement released on Sunday, Buckingham Palace confirmed the planned visit would take place with "adjustments" following last night's developments.
Buckingham Palace confirmed the decision follows "discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day".
The Palace added that "the King and Queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case, and are looking forward to the visit getting under way tomorrow".
As part of the trip, the King is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House.
Read more: Who was the gunman at the Trump dinner? Everything we know so far about the 'would-be assassin
Royal sources suggested the State Visit is expected to go ahead as planned, with both Buckingham Palace and the White House making "some operational adjustments to a few elements of the programme".
It comes after a senior Palace source told The Mirror that the decision to alter the programme was made on official advice at emergency meetings scheduled in the aftermath of the Washington Hilton shooting.
It follows a statement released by the Palace on Saturday afternoon, which stated that a "number of discussions will be taking place" to evaluate how the events "may or may not impact on the operational planning for the Visit."
The statement added His Majesty is “greatly relieved to hear that the US President, First Lady and all guests have been unharmed” in the shooting incident.
The Royals are meant to travel to the US on Monday - marking the first UK state visit to the US since the late Queen Elizabeth II's in 2007.
FULL STATEMENT
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “His Majesty is being kept fully informed of developments and is greatly relieved to hear that the President, First Lady and all guests have been unharmed.
“As you would expect, a number of discussions will be taking place throughout the day to discuss with US colleagues and our respective teams to what degree the events of Saturday evening may or may not impact on the operational planning for the Visit.
"The King and Queen are understood to have reached out privately to The President and First Lady to express their sympathies with all those affected on the night and their gratitude to the security services who prevented further injury."
The upcoming transatlantic trip was already being painted as one of the most politically tense of the King's reign, with the relationship between President Trump and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer resting on a knife edge after disputes over the US war on Iran.
Former US Secret Service agent Barry Donadio, who served on the Presidential Protective Division spoke to LBC about managing the risk.
"They'll send an advance team from your country there, and they'll work hand in hand and will meet all the criteria that's necessary for the King as well. We're accommodating him.
"There will be a US Secret Service protecting him in addition to your security forces. So this too is routine.
"They have done this so many times over the years. So they are used to this and this would be nothing new."I wouldn't worry about the King because what happened is the checkpoint [at the White House Correspondents' dinner] was there for this very purpose, and it succeeded in stopping a man with a rifle."
In a post on X, Sir Keir said he was “shocked” by the incident overnight.
The Prime Minister wrote: “Any attack on democratic institutions or on the freedom of the press must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
“It is a huge relief that @POTUS, the First Lady and all those attending are safe.”