We have some of the first photos of guests arriving for tonight's White House state dinner, which is held in honour of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

Among the first notable guests to arrive were tech leaders who had earlier met with the King at Blair House, where the president's guests traditionally stay.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

US lawmakers who listened to King Charles' speech are now giving their reactions.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, says the speech should serve as a "reminder" to President Donald Trump that "friends and allies matter".

"It has been thirty-five years since a British monarch addressed the elected representatives of the American people—the world has changed dramatically, but in many ways, the same tests remain before us," he writes on social media.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune says he was "honoured to welcome King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the Capitol as a part of our America 250 celebration." Thune and Schumer were among the group of lawmakers who escorted the royals into the chamber.

Republican Senator Lindsay Graham says the speech was a "terrific combo of wit, humour, history and appreciation." He posted on X that it was a morale-boost, adding that "it was a bit odd that the unifying feeling had to come from the King of England… but so be it!"

Image source, Getty Images

Today's gathering of business leaders at Blair House wasn't the only tech-themed event of the day.

Earlier, while the King and the president met in the Oval Office, Queen Camilla and First Lady Melania Trump spoke to a group of schoolchildren about AI and virtual reality.

The first lady spoke to the kids about British and American history and how they need not travel far to learn about it.

“Today, students all over the world can visit historically important sites, learn about the past, and be inspired,” Melania Trump said, according to a press release by her office. “Our children don’t need to board airplanes to experience history anymore. Kids can have an educational experience that is fundamentally richer and more memorable than ever before, through VR and AI.”

Students explored historical UK sites, such as Buckingham Palace, using Meta VR headsets, the release said.

The students also used the headsets to view historical objects brought in by the first lady, including a portrait of the second US President, John Adams, who was the first US ambassador to the UK, as well as a bust of Winston Churchill.

Image source, Getty Images

After addressing Congress and prior to tonight's White House dinner, the King is also meeting with the heads of major technology companies as part of his state visit.

In photos of the intimate event at Blair House, across from the White House, the King can be seen in photos speaking with outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Ruth Porat, president and CIO of Google's parent company Alphabet, are also in attendance.

The King is accompanied by Varun Chandra, the prime minister's special envoy to the US on trade and investment.

Before departing Washington DC, the King and Queen will lay a wreath and flowers in honour of fallen defence personnel in a ceremony marking the military partnership between the UK and the US.

The pair then travel to New York, where they will commemorate those killed in the 9/11 attacks. The King will also visit a community organisation working to mentor children and young people affected by food insecurity, while Queen Camilla will attend a literary event, among other engagements.

In Virginia, the King and Queen will attend an event celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence from Great Britain. The King will meet with an Indigenous community involved in conservation work, while the Queen will visit a farm to highlight the work of America’s horse racing industry.

Following the US visit, the King will travel to Bermuda, where he will see efforts to support biodiversity and attend cultural events.

Atmosphere at King's speech was lighthearted... despite many serious pointspublished at 21:59 BST 28 April

21:59 BST 28 April

Shaimaa Khalil
Reporting from the US Capitol

Image source, PA Media

It's was electric at the US Capitol all day, before and during the King's speech.

I've watched many big Congressional addresses on television. I try not to miss a State of the Union when the president speaks and there's a fullness in the House of Representatives.

Being in the room for this was very different.

There was already an energy and a buzz when members of both houses of Congress were meeting and greeting. But the energy changed completely when the King entered the room. You could feel the awe that everyone had for him.

Image source, PA Media

When he spoke, those in the crowd were clinging on to his every word.

People were audibly reacting to the things he said.

At one point, the King said "America's words carry weight", and I could hear people saying "yes" and "mhm" in the audience.

There was a light atmosphere to the King's speech even though some of the subject matter was quite serious.

The King peppered in jokes, and the crowd responded to them well.

The joke that hit the hardest was the one he made about the tradition of taking a member of Parliament hostage and asking Speaker Mike Johnson if there were any takers.

Image source, Getty Images

The BBC’s diplomatic correspondent James Landale tells the Global News Podcast that the King’s relationship with President Trump gives the UK a diplomatic advantage at a time of tension between Washington and many of its Western allies.

“That era of trying to please Donald Trump that characterised the diplomacy of the first few months of this second term has now been replaced by a much more robust willingness to counter and challenge and push back against the views of the White House,” he says.

“But having a monarch who can go there and perhaps put a little bit of weight on the other side of the scale is no bad thing.”

You can watch the episode on YouTube here, external

White House posts photo of Charles and Trump with caption 'TWO KINGS'published at 21:31 BST 28 April

21:31 BST 28 April

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent

Shortly after King Charles left his meeting with Donald Trump for the US Capitol, the official White House X account posted a picture of the two men laughing, with the caption “TWO KINGS”.

The message was surely meant as a jab at liberals in the US, who have criticised what they view as Trump’s autocratic ambitions.

Several times over the past year, hundreds of thousands of anti-Trump demonstrators have taken to the streets in “no kings” rallies to protest the president’s words and actions.

The White House’s social media feed is frequently a means of trolling his opponents, and it isn’t the first time Trump has been presented as a monarch in all but title.

The King and Queen Camilla will be returning to the White House later on Tuesday for a state dinner hosted by Donald and Melania Trump.

It is the final event planned for today, in what has been a full agenda for the royal couple. It follows a military ceremony, an Oval Office meeting between Trump and the King, and an education event attended by the Queen and Melania, as well as the King's Congress speech.

We will bring you updates from the event when it gets under way later.

The King has just finished his historic speech to Congress.

Here are some of the moments captured as he spoke to a packed chamber.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

We have just heard King Charles address a packed joint session of the US Congress where he received many standing ovations for a speech that explores deep cross-Atlantic history and present challenges.

Here are the main lines:

• The King spoke about the shared history between the US and Britain, describing it as one that stretches centuries
• He said beyond history, the two nations shared common democratic values that underpin their systems of government. His comment about executive power needing to submit to checks and balances was particularly well-received by Democrats
• But the King warned the unique alliance between Britain and America "cannot rest on past achievements" in a volatile and fast-changing world
• He called for increased cooperation between London and Washington on defence matters and made a firm call for partnership in support of Ukraine "in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace" in Europe
• The King concluded his historic address with a message of unity and global environmental preservation

King Charles has left Congress as he departs in his motorcade.

The King shook the hands of some members of Congress before he left the building with Queen Camilla by his side.

Not long after, the motorcade left the US Capitol Building to take the royals to their next function - a White House state dinner that is scheduled to begin at 20:00 ET (01:00 BST).

We'll continue to bring you updates.

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent

As King Charles closed out his speech, one of his final lines prompted some muttering – of agreement and concern – from the audience, particularly on the Democratic side.

“America’s words carry weight and meaning, as they have since independence,” he said. “The actions of this great nation matter even more.”

Whether intended or not, it appears liberals in the audience may have viewed the king as delivering a word of warning to the American nation.

Image source, Getty Images

The King receives a round of applause and standing ovation as he concludes his speech.

He stands for a few moments and smiles and waves at those in the room.

As he exits, he pauses to chat with several people on the way out - shaking the hands of some as his wife follows behind him doing the same.

He can be seen greeting a number of those who had just been listening to his speech and sharing a few words with each of them.

Image source, Reuters

The King concludes with a message of unity.

“From the bitter divisions of 250 years ago, we forged a friendship that has grown into one of the most consequential alliances in human history," he tells Congress.

“I pray with all my heart that our alliance will continue to defend our shared values, with our partners in Europe and the Commonwealth, and across the world, and that we ignore the clarion calls to become ever more inward-looking.”

America’s words carry meaning, he says, but actions are more important.

“And so, to the United States of America, on your 250th birthday, let our two countries rededicate ourselves to each other in the selfless service of our peoples and of all the peoples of the world.”

“God bless the United States, and God bless the United Kingdom,” the King concludes, to raucous applause.

Image source, EPA

King Charles shifts his speech to promoting the importance of protecting the environment.

"As we look toward the next 250 years, we must also reflect on our shared responsibility to safeguard Nature, our most precious and irreplaceable asset," he said.

This statement receives a standing ovation.

"Millennia before our nation existed, before any border drawn, the mountains of Scotland and Appalachia were one.

"The natural wonders of the United States of America are indeed a unique asset, and generations of Americans have risen to this calling."

King Charles, who is passionate about environmentalism, warned that protecting nature was crucial to the world's future.

"Even as we celebrate the beauty that surrounds us, our generation must decide how to address the collapse of critical natural systems, which threatens far more than the harmony and essential diversity of nature.

"We ignore at our peril the fact that these natural systems – in other words, nature’s own economy – provide the foundation for our prosperity and our national security."

Congress stands to applaud the King again.

The King says that for both the UK and US, "the shared values of rule of law" created the foundation for economic prosperity.

"The certainty of stable and accessible rules, an independent judiciary resolving disputes and delivering impartial justice. These features created the conditions for centuries of unmatched economic growth in our two countries," he says.

"This is why our governments are concluding new economic and technology agreements," he says, going on to mention trade and investment in AI, drugs and nuclear technology.

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent

Image source, EPA

Quoting former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, King Charles spoke of an Atlantic “partnership" and noted – not for the first time among America’s European allies – that the only time Nato mobilsed in defence of one of its member-states was after the US was attacked by Al-Qaida on September 11, 2001.

Donald Trump has derided the British Navy, long a source of pride for the kingdom. He called their ships “toys” and said their aircraft carriers “didn’t work”.

The King, who served five years in the Royal Navy, made a specific mention of his time in the service – using it as an entry point to remark on benefits of security and intelligence relations between the two nations – and between America and Europe.

The King talks further about the importance of Nato.

He says UK-US "defence, intelligence and security ties are hardwired together through relationships measured not in years, but in decades".

He points to military troops deployed to each other's countries.

"We do not embark on these remarkable endeavours together out of sentiment; we do so because they build greater shared resilience for the future," he says.

Image source, Reuters

King Charles the strength of the US-UK partnership has been used to take on common adversaries and to secure the world.

Now, it's needed to safeguard Ukraine in the midst of war from Russia.

"Today, Mr. Speaker, that same, unyielding resolve is needed for the defence of Ukraine and her most courageous people – in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace," he said.