The King and Queen were visibly touched as they presented a floral homage to the 9/11 victims at the National September 11 Memorial in New York City.
Camilla, aged 78, embraced a woman who had lost her brother in the attacks nearly 25 years prior. Both she and Charles engaged warmly with the bereaved families, offering handshakes and conversation.
During the initial stop of a busy schedule in the city, Their Majesties visited the site of the former World Trade Center, now transformed into a serene memorial space.
This memorial includes two reflective pools, etched with the names of almost 3,000 individuals who perished in the 2001 attacks, alongside those who lost their lives in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
Upon arrival, they were welcomed by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who chairs the 9/11 Museum and Memorial, as well as Beth Hillman, the institution’s president and CEO.
In brilliant sunshine, they were invited to stand by the restful ever-flowing waters where they laid a bouquet of white roses and stood for a few moments of reflection.
The handwritten note by the King read: ‘We honour the memory of all those who so tragically lost their lives on 11th September 2001, and stand in every lasting solidarity with the American people in the face of such awful loss. Charles and Camilla.’
They were also shown a single white rose placed on the name of Robert E Russell, who was 52 when he was killed in the attack on the Pentagon.
The King and Queen laid a bouquet of flowers on the edge of one of the pools of the 9/11 memorial
The Royal couple also left a handwritten note, which said they stand in ‘enduring solidarity with the American people and in the face of their profound loss’
The King and Queen worked their way down a line of first responders
The bouquet was placed on stones that bear the names of 9/11 victims
The accompanying handwritten note by the King and Queen said they stand in ‘enduring solidarity with the American people and in the face of their profound loss’
King Charles looked contemplative during a ceremony to remember the victims of the terror attack
Staff and volunteers lay a single white rose in tribute each day to all victims who would have celebrated their birthday on that day.
The Queen wore a navy blue crepe silk dress and coat by Fiona Clare for the occasion, with the late Queen’s red, white and blue Britannia brooch.
Afterwards, they were shown to a group of families and first responders, where they met Anthoulia Katsimatides, whose brother, John, was working for Cantor Fitzgerald, and was just 31 when he died on the 104th floor of The World Trade Center.
She showed the Queen a picture of John and the two women held hands as they spoke. She then whispered something in Camilla’s ear and repeated it – before the Queen leant forwards and gave her a hug.
Speaking afterwards, Anthoulia said she felt so moved that she just wanted to ask the Queen for a hug.
‘I asked could I hug her. She didn’t hear it at first so I repeated myself and she smiled and said “of course”. I’m from Queens and am Greek – and we hug,’ she smiled tearfully.
‘John was such a good family man, a lovely man. He was 31 and single and living his best life, he absolutely loved his family and was quite religious. I often say that he was praying when he died.
They were first escorted around the site by former New York mayor, Michael Bloomberg, left
The King met with the current Mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, who is known to have little regard for the royal family
Queen Camilla warmly embraces a family member of a 9/11 victim
The Queen wore a navy blue crepe silk dress and coat both by Fiona Clare for the engagement
The King spent a considerable amount of time talking with officials and those who were affected by the 2001 attacks
Their Majesties will also observe a moment of silent reflection to remember the victims of the 2001 terror attacks
‘It’s a real honour for them to come and visit to pay their respects. I can’t stop crying, but it’s fine. The memories are as fresh for me today as they were 25 years ago.
‘It’s hard. Obviously they pass, some days they are at the forefront and others you just get on with your life.
‘One of the big concerns for us is that a generation is growing up not knowing 9/11 and what happened. So to bring a King here to remember the 25th anniversary is so important. It reminds people. We all have a personal story to tell.
‘When I showed the Queen my picture of John she smiled and called him a looker, which was cute.
‘And she told me she thought this memorial was quite peaceful, she loved the sounds of the running water and the canopy of trees. And she said: “Does it bring you peace?” And you know, it does.
‘It’s just nice that she care enough even to have a conversation. It wasn’t just a hello, you are welcome. She really listened. She seemed very warm, and beautiful. She has beautiful eyes. She’s a lovely, lovely lady.’
Their Majesties walked down the line shaking hands and listening to people’s stories, including those who were involved in the rescue efforts after the attacks and current serving personnel to hear about the human impact and legacy of the atrocity.
They also met some of New York’s elected officials, including the Mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, whose inclusion has excited many American political commentators.
The King later visited a community garden called Harlem Growth
The project encourages local children to channel themselves into gardening and learn about plants
The King even helped out with tending to the brood of chickens belonging to the garden
Ugandan-born Mamdani is considered an outspoken ‘post-colonialist’ with little regard for the Royal Family.
He said ahead of their meeting: ‘I will be attending the wreath-laying … to pay tribute to the more than 3,000 who were killed in the horrific terror attacks of September 11. And that will be the extent of my meeting with the king and with others who are present.’
His father, respected academic Mahmood Mamdani, specialises in the study of African and international politics, colonialism and post-colonialism, and has written on the lasting impacts of British colonial rule in Africa including in Uganda.
Just last month, the mayor drew parallels between the war in the Middle East and British rule over Ireland.
However the King and Queen frequently meet politicians of all political persuasions through their work and no major ceremony in the city would be complete without the Mayor being present.
The meeting appeared to pass without a hitch, with warm smiles from both Charles and Mamdani.
The couple also spoke to the Governors of New York State and New Jersey State, Kathy Hochul and Mikie Sherill, as well as Commonwealth representatives, recognising those who lost their lives across the Commonwealth family.
Before departing, The King and Queen met charities and organisations supporting the families of victims and preserving the legacy of 9/11 for future generations, including Tuesday’s Children – which provides youth mentoring, community programmes and events.
Queen Camilla, meanwhile, made her way to the New York Public Library, and is pictured here greeting Anna Wintour
The Queen was also spotted deep in conversation with Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker
Camilla beamed with a posie of flowers as she left the library
Crowds gather outside The New York Public Library before a literacy event
They also met representatives from the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Garden – which was opened by Her late Majesty in 2010 as a permanent living memorial to the British and Commonwealth citizens who died in the attacks.
Speaking afterwards, the president of the memorial, Beth Hillman, said: ‘It’s been a tremendous honour to have Their Majesties here as we approach the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and to see them interact with family members and first responders.
‘To recognise what happened that day and what has happened since and the consequences of terrorise.
‘Our mission is to commemorate what happened on 9/11 and educate the people, especially those too young to remember, and inspire them.
‘King Charles and Queen Camilla being here is a great opportunity to expand that awareness. They spoke in thoughtful ways to all of the family members and listened to their stories as they shared their sense of loss and what happened on that day.’
Afterwards, Their Majesties undertook separate engagements in the city – her a literacy event, and he an after-school urban farming project and business meeting – before coming together for a star-studded engagement celebrating the cream of UK and US culture.
Charles met members of the public during an impromptu walkabout in Harlem, after visiting Harlem Grown, a local community organisation and after-school initiative tackling systemic health, education and wellbeing challenges faced by disadvantaged children and families the city.
The non-profit transforms abandoned urban lots into sustainable farms and has grown from a single development on 134th street, the site visited by Charles, into a network of fourteen sites.
Gyles Brandreth and Jim Cummings were at the New York Library to greet Queen Camilla
The Queen presented a specially made teddy bear of Roo, the Winnie the Pooh character
The gift completed the library’s collection, which already featured all the other characters
During his visit the King showed her was happy to get stuck in, even feeding the chickens. He has a large flock of ex -battery hen birds at his own Highgrove Estate in Gloucestershire.
Walking over to crowds who had gathered outside the site after his visit, Charles was greeted by shouts of “’Welcome to Harlem’ and ‘thanks for coming’.
One woman held on to his hand, telling him: ‘Thank you for your speech to Congress, we needed that.’ Smiling, he replied: ‘Well, I keep trying.”’
Charles was welcomed to the site by the charity’s founder, Tony Hilliery, who told him about its history and mission to partner with schools and organisations to provide safe environments and healthy food for local people.
The organisation was born from Mr Hillery’s volunteer work at PS 175, a local public primary school, where he witnessed the impact of limited access to nutritious food, the arts, and the broader resource inequalities on pupils and the cascading impact on the local families.
He transformed a neglected and dilapidated community garden opposite the school into a thriving urban farm.
Harlem Grown has grown into a network of fourteen urban farm sites across Upper Manhattan, delivering programmes that integrate hands-on sustainable agricultural education with after-school activities, mentorship, and wider community support across New York City.
The organisation operates as a community platform, partnering with local schools and organisations to create safe, nurturing spaces for young people and families.
Charles later attended a UK-US trade event at the Rockerfeller Center
The King is whizzing through a jam-packed day of events in New York City on this third day of the tour
He met a number of big hitters from the finance world, including CEO of Blackstone Stephen A. Schwarzman
It takes a holistic approach to social impact, combining practical intervention with long-term investment in youth development, education, and opportunity.
By supporting pathways to higher education and employment, the organisation lives out its founding mission: ‘To grow people.’
Charles also spoke to staff and volunteers, including lead student ambassador Epiphany Adams, a social worker, who grew up taking part in Harlem Grown’s programmes and now volunteers in her spare time.
‘Well done,’ Charles told her. ‘She’s a celebrity round here,’ Tony responded.
The King, who looked in his element among the rows of neatly planted vegetable and flower beds, also saw schoolchildren taking part in some agricultural activities, including planting and irrigation.
He heard about hydroponic growing methods, where plants don’t require soil to grow, and was shown the charity’s ‘walls of lettuce’.
Watching two young primary school children pick up trowels and plant lavender pots, he asked them: ‘What will you call them?’
One child named hers ‘Sunshine”’, while the other said ‘Lili’, the name of Charles’s granddaughter.
‘Is this the first time you’ve done this? You’ll have a great time watching them grow now.’ The King also heard how mushrooms are grown on site and given away free to the local community. ‘Fantastic,’ he said.
The King spoke to children who benefitted from the community garden
He had a chance to watch local them chopping up food grown in the garden, with founder Tony Hillieryviews (right)
Next, he joined some children feeding chickens with home-grown lettuce at the on-site coop. ‘I love the chickens,’ Charles chuckled, bending down to feed them.
Finally, he joined a group of children in a food education session, where he watched them use some of the vegetables grown on the site to make salsa dishes to be shared with the community.
Before leaving the session, two young girls, one called Amina, presented him with a hand-written letter, to his delight.
It read: ‘Dear King Charles, we would like for you to come to Harlem Grown. There are lots of plants and we heard that you love nature! Please come help us make the world a better place!’
Before leaving, Charles gifted Tony a jar of Highgrove honey, in a brown box wrapped in red ribbon. ‘This is for you, from England,’ he told him.
Speaking after Charles’s visit, Tony described his personal journey to launch Harlem Grown.
The former owner of a successful limousine company to the stars of screen and stage with a roster of internationally recognised names as his clients, he had a comfortable life and a business that looked after itself.
But after the financial crash in 2008, his enterprise took a turn for the worse, leading him to reevaluate the direction he was headed.
Queen Camilla, King Charles III, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive for the state dinner at the White House in Washington yesterday, on day two of the state visit
King Charles and Mr Trump share a laugh at the White House state dinner, where the monarch filled his speech with jokes – including about the Boston Tea Party
Tony started volunteering at a New York City public school in Harlem. In the lunchroom one day, he met a kindergartner who told him that tomatoes grew in the supermarket.
‘It was a turning point’, he said. ‘I had been living in a bubble for so long. My life had been comfortable and I had tasted success. I was from a privileged background, I wasn’t from Harlem, but something special brought me here.’
The majority of students at the school were from underprivileged or lived in poverty. Many had little or no access to fresh food and in the worst cases some were homeless.
Tony said: ‘Some of the kids literally had no idea what a vegetable was. It wasn’t that they hadn’t eaten or seen one, they didn’t know they existed.’
With many of the children also being susceptible to gang violence or from households where drugs and alcohol was prevalent, Tony decided to take on an abandoned lot opposite the school.
Soon a couple of inquisitive children stopped to help him, before inviting their friends after school, often with nowhere to go or no one to go home to.
‘Once we cleared the site, we set about creating a safe environment for the kids to come. It wasn’t necessarily a vision but we started something. If a child planted something they would eat it.
‘For many it was the first time they engaged with education on a practical level. I knew we could make a difference, but these kids have changed my life, truly.’
This third day of the visit comes after a series of engagements in Washington, including Charles’s address to congress and the state banquet on Tuesday.
One moment from the proceedings that has raised eyebrows came when Donald Trump divulged, during his speech at the dinner, that the King agreed Iran must never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.
Trump said: ‘We’re doing a little work in the Middle East right now. And we’re doing very well.
‘We have militarily defeated that particular opponent and we are never going to let that opponent ever – Charles agrees with me, even more than I do – we will never let that opponent have a nuclear weapon. They know that.’
The President’s words were greeted with cheers by many of the 120-strong diners.
Buckingham Palace has moved to smooth over the fallout from Trump’s claim, which broke with the protocol against revealing the King’s privately held opinions.
The Palace said this morning: ‘The King is naturally mindful of his Government’s longstanding and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation.’
Trump today repeated his claim that King Charles would have sent British forces to help in Iran, if the decision had been his.
Speaking from the Oval Office, he said: ‘The King is fantastic. We spent a lot of time together. We had a lot of talk. We talked about this also, and he loves his country, and he’s a great king, and he’s a great friend of mine.
‘And I think if he were doing that, if that were up to him, he would have probably helped us with Iran.’
