Pictures show a historic visit by British royalty to the US as King Charles III visits the country

King Charles III to make a state visit in the US this week, marking the first time a British monarch has visited the US since then becoming a king in 2022.

King Charles and Queen Camilla will visit the US from Monday to Thursday. On Tuesday, Charles will address a joint session of Congress and the royal couple will attend dinner at the White House. Then on Wednesday, they will visit New York City.

Although it is Charles’ first visit to the US as monarch, he has traveled here 19 times before his anointing. Many of her royal relatives have also made memorable trips over the years, with experiences ranging from trying a hot dog for the first time to dancing with actor John Travolta.

Here’s a look back at some of the British royalty’s visits to the US, both official and unofficial.

1939: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visit Washington, DC

The first official visit by a British monarch was in June 1939, when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, later known as the Queen Mother, visited the US before World War II. During a picnic attended by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, King George VI ate a hot dog for the first time.

1951: Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip visit Washington, DC

In October 1951, then-Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited the White House as it was being renovated. They stayed at Blair House with President Harry Truman, and Princess Elizabeth presented the president with a 17th-century framed mirror and oil painting and a candelabra.

1957: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip return to Washington

Now, as queen, Elizabeth II and Prince Philip returned to the US for an official visit in October 1957 to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown.

The royal couple visited Arlington National Cemetery to lay wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and attended a state dinner at the White House.

British royalty also attended a Maryland football game, where Queen Elizabeth asked the monarch, “Where do you get all those great players?”

1965: Princess Margaret’s 14-day tour

Princess Margaret, younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, visited Washington, DC, in November 1965 as part of a 14-day US tour. Attended a formal dinner at the White House with President Lyndon B. Johnson.

At the end of his US tour, he stopped in California, where he rode the San Francisco cable car and met Alfred Hitchcock on the set of “Torn Curtain” in Hollywood.

1976: Queen Elizabeth II visits for the centenary

Queen Elizabeth II made a state visit to the US in July 1976 to help celebrate America’s centenary – 200 years of independence from Britain. Hosted by President Gerald Ford and first lady Betty Ford, the British monarchs attended a state dinner in the White House Rose Garden, visited the US Capitol and laid flowers at Arlington National Cemetery.

The Queen presented President Ford with a soup kitchen with a painted image of the White House and Independence Hall.

1985: Prince Charles and Princess Diana visit Washington, DC

Prince Charles and Princess Diana met President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan at the White House in November 1985. The visit included tea and dinner where Diana danced with actor John Travolta to music from “Saturday Night Fever.”

1991: Queen Elizabeth II returns to Washington, DC

Queen Elizabeth II returned to Washington, DC, in May 1991, when President George HW Bush and first lady Barbara Bush hosted a state dinner. The queen planted a tree, a linden with small leaves, on the lawn of the South.

In what came to be known as the “talking hat”, because the lectern was not adjusted due to her height, only the queen’s hat was visible through the microphones to the audience during her speeches. Two days later, he joked in his speech to Congress, “I hope you see me today.”

2007: Queen Elizabeth II attends the Kentucky Derby

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip’s last visit to the US was in May 2007, when they were hosted by President George W. Bush to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown.

The royal couple attended a white state dinner, visited the National Children’s Center and laid a wreath at the World War II Memorial.

Before their stop in DC, the British kings appeared in the 133rd Kentucky Derby. The Queen was a racing fan and owned and bred racehorses.

2014: Prince William and Catherine visit NYC and Washington

Prince William and his wife Catherine, now the Princess of Wales but then known as the Duchess of Cambridge, visited the US in December 2014 for a three-day visit. It was Prince William’s first meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House.

The prince also spoke at the World Bank and attended a Brooklyn Nets game in New York, where he and Catherine met Jay-Z and Beyoncé and NBA star LeBron James.

2015: Prince Charles and Camilla visit the US

Then, Prince Charles and Camilla, then known as the Duchess of Cornwall, came to the US for a four-day official visit in March 2015, where the royal couple met with President Obama and then-Vice President Joe Biden at the White House.

“I think it’s fair to say that the American people are very fond of the royal family,” Obama said.

The future king and queen also visited the National Archives, Arlington National Cemetery and George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate in Virginia, stopping in Louisville, Kentucky.