King Charles arrives in Bermuda after landmark US state visit Photo

King Charles III arrived in Bermuda on April 30 for a solo royal visit, following the conclusion of his four-day state trip to the United States with Queen Camilla.

The British monarch will remain in the British overseas territory until May 2 after landing at LF Wade International Airport, where he was welcomed by Bermuda Governor Andrew Murdoch and Premier David Burt. A small guard of honour from the Royal Bermuda Regiment was also present for his arrival, Sky News reports. 

On May 1, Charles is set to receive a ceremonial welcome that will include a 21-gun salute. During the visit, he is expected to meet Commonwealth athletes and officially open the Great Bay Coast Guard Station on St David’s Island.

The visit marks Charles’s first trip to a British overseas territory since becoming king and the first time a reigning British monarch has visited Bermuda.

Charles arrived in Bermuda after concluding his US visit, which commemorated the 250th anniversary of American independence. He departed from Joint Base Andrews in Washington, where US President Donald Trump saw him off. Queen Camilla, who accompanied Charles during the US trip, will remain in the United States for the time being.

During their stay in the US, the King and Queen attended a state dinner, visited the 9/11 Memorial in New York, and Charles addressed the US Congress, becoming only the second British monarch to do so.

At the conclusion of the visit, Trump described Charles as the “greatest King in my book.” In a message posted on social media, the King and Queen said: “We leave a piece of our heart behind and take a little of yours back home with us.”

Trump also announced that tariffs on Scottish whisky would be lifted “in honour” of the royal couple, saying they had “got me to do something that nobody else was able to do.” He added that the decision would benefit Scotland’s “very important” whisky and bourbon trade with the US state of Kentucky.

Buckingham Palace responded by saying Charles would be “raising a dram.”

However, shortly after the King’s departure, Trump expressed uncertainty over whether the visit had achieved its intended diplomatic impact.

“I can’t give you an answer to that,” he said in a phone call with Sky News.

By Sabina Mammadli