King Charles III and the Prince of Wales are expected to make separate trips to the United States in 2026 as part of a campaign to revitalise a trade deal with President Donald Trump, according to reports. Advanced talks on a visit by the king are said to be under way, with a possible date in April. William is expected to travel later in the year during the World Cup, which will be hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July.
The visits would mark the first by a reigning British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II accepted an invitation from George W. Bush in 2007. The royal charm offensive comes after the US paused a promised multibillion-pound investment into British tech over trade disagreements. The £31bn deal, announced during Trump's state visit and hailed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer as a 'generational step-change', included commitments from Microsoft and Google to invest billions in the UK.
Washington cited a lack of progress from the UK in lowering trade barriers in other areas as the reason for the pause. The decision was a blow to the UK government, which had touted the agreement as a prize of its intensive engagement with the US to avoid punitive tariffs. Starmer had hosted Trump for a second state visit at Windsor Castle in September, an unprecedented honour for a US president.
Downing Street said the government was still in 'active conversations' with the US on the tech deal, but acknowledged that negotiations were 'never straightforward'. Sticking points include Britain's digital services tax, opposed by Trump's big tech backers, and greater access to British markets for US farmers. The prime minister is not expected to accompany the king; instead, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is likely to attend.
William is expected to visit during the World Cup in his capacity as president of the Football Association. England's third group match is on 27 June in New Jersey, a week before the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence celebrations on 4 July. The prince's visit may be timed to coincide with Independence Day. Buckingham Palace declined to comment on upcoming engagements.
