'Watertight operation' in place as King Charles and Queen Camilla embark on US state visit amid 'grave concerns'
The king and queen will arrive in the US on MondayKing Charles and Queen Camilla will arrive in the US on Monday for a state visit. But, according to reports, there could be a “watertight operation” in place.
On Saturday night, the US President Donald Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, were rushed out of the White House correspondents’ dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Washington DC after gunshots rang out.
A man was quickly apprehended by police. The suspect has since been named as 31-year-old Cole Allen, from Torrance, California.
Following the incident, there was much speculation over whether the king’s visit would be cancelled. However, Buckingham Palace confirmed at the weekend that the visit will go ahead this week.
King Charles and Queen Camilla’s US state visit
The palace’s statement read on Sunday: “Following discussions on both sides of the Atlantic through the day, and acting on advice of Government, we can confirm the State Visit by Their Majesties will proceed as planned.
Buckingham Palace and royal protection teams will be seeking assurances that a watertight operation will be in place.
“The King and Queen are most grateful to all those who have worked at pace to ensure this remains the case and are looking forward to the visit getting under way tomorrow.”
It’s also understood that there will be some modest operational adjustments to one or two engagements during the trip.
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Britain’s ambassador to the US, Sir Christopher Turner, said: “The real point is that our respective security teams have been in close touch for weeks.
“And any operational changes we have to make, we can make them as we go, and we are all very confident that all appropriate security measures are in place.”
Following the incident, President Trump told 60 minutes: “I wasn’t worried. I understand life. We live in a crazy world.”
‘Watertight operation’ amid state visit
Meanwhile, in a piece for the Mirror, royal commentator Russell Myers shared his thoughts on the security operations.
Speaking about the shooting incident, Myers said: “The distressing scenes witnessed in Washington and a city under lockdown will be a grave concern for those planning the King and Queen’s upcoming visit to the United States.”
He continued: “Security was already of paramount importance for the King and Queen’s visit to the US and will no doubt be completely reviewed in light of the terrifying situation last night.
“Buckingham Palace and royal protection teams will be seeking assurances that a watertight operation will be in place ahead of the royal visit, something that appears to not be guaranteed at any stage in a country with such shocking gun violence statistics.”
According to Myers, royal sources said that King Charles and Queen Camilla “reached out privately to The President and First Lady to express their sympathies with all those affected on the night and their gratitude to the security services who prevented further injury”.
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