King Charles ended the first day of his much-anticipated state visit to the United States by chatting with former Olympic diving champion Tom Daley about their shared love of knitting. The monarch met the retired star during a garden party at the British Embassy in Washington DC on Monday, where Queen Camilla also spoke with leading figures from domestic abuse charities and confessed to feeling “jet lagged.”
Garden Party Highlights
The garden party preceded the King’s address to both houses of Congress on Tuesday. In his speech, Charles is expected to describe the UK-US relationship since America’s independence as “one of the greatest alliances in human history,” where the two nations find ways to “come together.” This address is likely to be seen as acknowledging tensions between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who have clashed over the American leader’s war against Iran.
Knitting Conversation
Tom Daley, 31, who lives in Los Angeles with his husband and two children, attended the garden party for the day. He said: “Knitting is my outlet for all my creativity, my mindfulness and my meditation, and the King has tried knitting many a time. He said he tried knitting when he was eight and he wasn’t very good, but he said he might pick it back up – he knows it’s very good for mental health. But I want to try and get it back into the school curriculum and maybe he can help me do that.”
Camilla’s Engagements
Before the garden party, Camilla confessed she was “quite jet lagged” when meeting organisers of a time capsule created to mark America’s 250th independence anniversary celebrations this year. During the open-air soiree, she chatted with charity bosses working to combat child exploitation and sexual abuse. Michelle DeLaune, chief executive of the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, praised the Queen as “wonderful” for “raising awareness” and getting “dialogue going.” She added: “There are many people suffering in silence and having someone like her to look up to gives a sense it’s not so isolating.”
Legal Constraints
Charles and Camilla are not able to meet victims and survivors of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein during their four-day visit due to ongoing legal cases, including the arrest of the King’s brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Asked about whether the King and Queen should have met victims and survivors, DeLaune said: “I think it has to be a choice of individuals, for King and Queen. I think the voices of victims and survivors are not only heard but progress made; we will continue working to ensure we are bringing voices loud and clear.”
Notable Guests
Among the 650 guests were treasury secretary Scott Bessent, senator Ted Cruz, former speaker Nancy Pelosi, current speaker Mike Johnson, and Prince William’s school friend Guy Pelly. Football star Esme Morgan, a European title-winning Lioness who plays for Washington Spirit, also attended.
