King Charles III and Queen Camilla have visited the site of the Sept. 11 attacks in New York City.
It came as part of first visit to New York city by a reigning British Monarch in 16 years. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, made four state visits to the US. Her last visit to New York was in 2010.
Charles and Camilla paid tribute to the nearly 3,000 people killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, including 67 British nationals. They were greeted at the National 9/11 memorial plaza in Lower Manhattan by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, then walked to one of the memorial’s two pools, where parapets bear the names of the victims of the attacks.
Charles laid flowers at the National 9/11 Memorial and the royal couple spoke with victims’ relatives, first responders and local dignitaries before traveling to other events midway through a four-day diplomatic trip to the US to mark 250 years of American independence.
Among the crowd at the memorial were New York Governor Kathy Hochul, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Mamdani, who was born in Uganda to parents from India, both former parts of the British Empire, shook hands with the king, and the two appeared to greet each other warmly. They spoke only for a few seconds.
The King also toured an after-school, urban farming effort in Harlem that works with young people affected by food insecurity. At Harlem Grown’s 134th Street Farm, he planted lavender and mustard seeds with children, saw a chicken coop and watched a live food demonstration that educated children about food and nutrition.
Later, the King attended a gathering of business leaders at Rockefeller Center, including executives from top American companies, including Google, OpenAI, JPMorgan Chase, and Comcast.
The Queen, meanwhile, visited the New York Public Library, where she chatted with actress Sarah Jessica Parker during a walk through the building. Camilla delivered a new Roo doll to add to the library’s famed collection of Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animals, as the beloved children’s character turns 100 this year.
King Charles III’s Charity Celebrates 50 Years Of Helping Young People Find Work
The royal couple ended their day in the city with an appearance at an early evening reception for one of the king’s charities, the King’s Trust, where Charles spoke of the enduring cultural bond between the people of the UK and US.
In their last public event of the day in New York, the King and queen attended a gala reception at Rockefeller Center. Singer and songwriter Lionel Richie, who has worked with the King’s Trust for four decades, introduced the royal. Also present were Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, lifestyle icon Martha Stewart and fashion designer Donatella Versace.
At the event, Charles emphasized that “potential and latent talent truly knows no bounds once you help develop it.”
“I won’t see the long-distance future. But I’m enormously grateful to you all for what you can all do as supporters to help this vital endeavor, to champion the next generation, ensuring their talent and ambition continue to strengthen our societies for many years to come.”
King Charles
Members of the British Royal Family have traditionally served as patrons of charities, boosting awareness and fundraising for existing organizations in the areas where they rule as nobles. Observers say Charles’ lasting interest in young people’s employment is evident as he continues lending his title to its expanding work.
The trust’s programs reach young people through schools and established nonprofit partners. They include Get Hired, which helps young people land their first jobs, and the Development Awards, a grant that helps them afford purchases to advance their careers such as a laptop or professional clothing. The Enterprise Challenge is an afterschool program where students develop businesses that address a problem in their community.
According to The King’s Trust USA CEO Victoria Gore, the gala aims to showcase “the very best of British-American philanthropy through the individual arts, culture, investments between the two countries.” The King’s Trust US has set a goal to reach 1,000 young people in the United States this year.
The Monarchs are expected to make stops in Virginia before wrapping up their US visit back at the White House on Thursday with a formal farewell from President Donald Trump. Charles then travels solo to Bermuda on his first visit as King to a British overseas territory.
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