The U.S. State Visit by King Charles III will proceed as planned, after officials discussed if there would be any impact due to a shooting incident at a White House dinner on Saturday
(This article includes reporting by Reuters)
Buckingham Palace said on Sunday that the four-day trip to the United States by King Charles and Queen Camilla would go ahead as planned, following a shooting at a dinner attended by the President.
US President Donald Trump was rushed out of the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday evening, after a man opened fire on nearby security personnel.
U.S. authorities think the shooting likely targeted the President and administration officials.
King Charles III and his wife Queen Camilla are due to arrive in the United States on Monday for a four-day trip. Early on Sunday, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said “a number of discussions” were being held to determine if the incident “may or may not impact on the operational planning for the visit.”
Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said that he was confident King Charles would be safe during this week’s visit to the U.S.
A palace spokesperson has now confirmed that, following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic, “we can confirm the state visit by their majesties will proceed as planned…
“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 underway tomorrow.”
Following the State Visit, the King is scheduled to fly to Bermuda on Thursday, marking his first visit to a British Overseas Territory as Sovereign. The programme of events for the Royal Visit runs for a full day on Friday, plus Saturday morning (view the programme HERE).
Bermuda Broadcasting reached out to Government for an update on any discussions concerning the Bermuda visit, following the shooting incident in Washington.
‘SURREAL SCENE’
A Buckingham Palace source told Reuters that King Charles and Queen Camilla privately reached out to U.S. President Trump and the first lady Melania Trump to express their sympathies after Saturday’s shooting incident.
During the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in the Washington Hilton hotel, a man fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent at a checkpoint, before being tackled and arrested.
After shots were heard, Secret Service agents rushed President Trump, the first lady and other administration members out of the dinner.
The President told reporters at a briefing after the attack that the Secret Service agent who was shot was in “good shape” after being saved by his bulletproof vest. U.S. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi confirmed the officer had been released from hospital.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is an annual event attended by journalists, which includes a speech by the President.
BELOW: Witnesses recount a ‘surreal scene’ after shots were fired at the White House press dinner (Reuters)
