King Charles III and Prince William are expected to travel to the United States in 2026. The visits will be made separately and are part of a wider effort to improve trade ties with US President Donald Trump, according to reports.
The Times said advanced talks are taking place about the king’s visit. It is likely to happen in April. Prince William is expected to visit later in the year during the football World Cup, which will be hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July.
First Royal Visit Since Queen Elizabeth II
If the trip goes ahead, it will be the first visit by a reigning British monarch to the US since Queen Elizabeth II accepted an invitation from George W Bush in 2007.
Trade Deal Faces Delays
The royal visits are being planned at a time when trade relations between the UK and the US have become strained. Earlier this month, the US paused a large investment in British technology because of disagreements over trade.
The investment was part of a £31bn deal that Prime Minister Keir Starmer had called “a generational step-change in our relationship with the US” during Trump’s state visit. Under the deal, US tech companies promised major investments in Britain, including £22bn from Microsoft and £5bn from Google.
However, Washington later put the agreement on hold. US officials said the UK had not made enough progress in lowering trade barriers in other sectors.
Setback for the UK Government
The delay was a major blow for the UK government. Ministers had promoted the deal as the result of a year of close diplomacy aimed at avoiding harsh US tariffs on British exports.
As part of this effort, Starmer hosted Trump for a second state visit at Windsor Castle in September, an honour rarely given to a US president.
In early December, Downing Street said talks with the US were still continuing. But the prime minister’s spokesperson admitted that “negotiations of this kind are never straightforward”.
Key Disputes in the Trade Talks
Reports say US negotiators are unhappy with the slow progress of a wider trade agreement announced in May 2025. That was when Britain avoided the 20% tariffs that Trump placed on many other countries.
Two major problems remain. One is Britain’s digital services tax, which is strongly opposed by Trump’s big technology supporters. The other is the demand for greater access to British markets for US farmers, which is politically sensitive in the UK.
Timing Linked to US Independence Day
The Times reported that King Charles’s visit may be planned so that Prince William is also in the US for Independence Day on 4 July.
However, the prime minister is not expected to join the king. Instead, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is likely to attend on behalf of the British government.
Prince William’s World Cup Visit
Prince William is expected to travel to the US during the World Cup in his role as president of the Football Association. England’s third group match will be played on 27 June in New Jersey, just one week before the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence on 4 July.
Looking Back at the 1976 Royal Visit
During the 1976 bicentennial celebrations, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited Philadelphia, Washington DC, and New York. They stayed for six days and attended a state dinner hosted by President Gerald Ford at the White House.
The queen spoke about that visit in her Christmas broadcast that year. She said, “This year we went to America to join in their bicentennial celebrations. Who would have thought 200 years ago that a descendant of King George III could have taken part in these celebrations? Yet that same king was among the first to recognise that old scores must be settled and differences reconciled.”
She added, “The United States was born in bitter conflict with Britain but we didn’t remain enemies for long.”
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Palace Remains Silent
Buckingham Palace has refused to comment on the reported trips. It said it does not speak publicly about future royal engagements.