King Charles III and the Prince of Wales are expected to travel to the United States separately in 2026. The visits are part of a wider effort to revive a trade deal with US president Donald Trump, according to reports.
The Times said advanced discussions are already under way for the king’s visit. It added that Charles is likely to travel to the US in April 2026.
First monarch visit since 2007
If the trip goes ahead, it will be the first visit by a reigning British monarch to the US since Queen Elizabeth II visited in 2007. She had accepted an invitation from then US president George W Bush.
Prince William is expected to make a separate visit later in 2026. His trip is likely to coincide with the football World Cup, which the US will host along with Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July.
Trade deal under strain
The reported visits come at a sensitive time in UK-US relations. Earlier this month, the United States paused a promised multibillion-pound investment in British technology due to trade disagreements.
The pause affects a £31bn deal that Prime Minister Keir Starmer had described as “a generational step-change in our relationship with the US” when it was announced during Trump’s state visit. Under the agreement, US technology companies committed to invest heavily in the UK, including £22bn from Microsoft and £5bn from Google.
However, Washington put the deal on hold, saying Britain had made too little progress in lowering trade barriers in other sectors.
Blow to UK government strategy
The decision was a setback for the UK government. Ministers had promoted the agreement as a major achievement after a year of intensive 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. This was an unprecedented honour for a US president.
Earlier in December, Downing Street said it remained in “active conversations” with the US over the tech deal. At the same time, the prime minister’s spokesperson admitted that “negotiations of this kind are never straightforward”.
Key sticking points in talks
Reports suggest US negotiators have grown frustrated by slow progress on a broader trade deal announced in May 2025. Under that agreement, Britain avoided the 20 percent tariffs that Trump imposed on many other countries.
Two major issues remain unresolved. One is Britain’s digital services tax, which Trump’s big tech supporters strongly oppose. The other is the politically sensitive question of giving US farmers greater access to UK markets.
Timing and official representation
According to the Times, the king’s visit could be timed so that Prince William is also in the US around Independence Day. The prime minister is not expected to accompany King Charles on the trip. Instead, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is likely to attend to represent the government.
William’s World Cup role
Prince William is expected to travel to the US in his role as president of the Football Association. England’s third group-stage match at the World Cup will be played on 27 June in New Jersey. This is just a week before the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on 4 July.
Echoes of past royal visits
During the US bicentennial celebrations in 1976, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited Philadelphia, Washington DC and New York. President Gerald Ford hosted the queen at a White House state dinner.
In her Christmas broadcast that year, the queen reflected on the visit, saying, “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 also said, “The United States was born in bitter conflict with Britain but we didn’t remain enemies for long.”
Palace response
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the reports. A spokesperson said the palace does not comment on future royal engagements.