NEW YORK (AP) — King Charles III and Queen Camilla began their trip to New York City on Wednesday with a visit to the National 9/11 Memorial, where they honored victims of the 2001 attacks and spoke with relatives of those who died.
The stop was part of a busy swing through the city midway through the royal couple's four-day trip to the U.S. to mark 250 years of American independence. It's the first visit to the Big Apple by a reigning British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II visited in 2010.
The king and queen arrived by motorcade and were greeting by various dignitaries at the memorial. They were accompanied by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg while walking to one of the parapets ringing the two pools, bearing the names of the victims of the attacks. Charles laid a bouquet of flowers on the parapet, and the couple silently bowed their heads.
The royal couple then shook hands and spoke to a line of people, including families of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks and first responders. Some relatives held up photos of their lost loved ones. Also in the line were New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill and other dignitaries. The gathering came ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks, which killed more than 2,700 people at the World Trade Center site.
The visit to the memorial took place under the usual security precautions New York affords visiting world leaders and heads of state. Police snipers perched on rooftops overlooking the site. Heavy trucks were used as blockers to close off intersections. The large memorial plaza and the streets surrounding it were closed to the public.
Small throngs of onlookers gathered at police barricades outside the secure perimeter, though a glimpse of the royals was unlikely. The king and queen got in and out of their motorcade inside a tent, out of public view.
Meeting New York's mayor
Mamdani — who was born in Uganda, a former part of the British Empire, to parents from India, which achieved independence from British rule in 1947 — shook hands with the king, and the two appeared to greet each other warmly. They spoke only for a few seconds.
Earlier in the day, Mamdani said he hoped to keep the event’s focus on the victims of the “horrific terror attacks” and not try to pursue any political conversations. But pressed by a reporter, Mamdani had said that if he were to speak with Charles at a different place and time, “I would probably encourage him to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond.”
The gem, one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, is part of the Crown Jewels. Seized by the East India Co. after the Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1849, the gem was given to Queen Victoria and is on display in the Tower of London. Countries including India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan have claimed ownership.
Spending time with 9/11 victims' loved ones
Anthoula Katsimatides was among the Sept. 11 victims' relatives who spoke with the royal couple. Her brother, John Katsimatides, was a broker for Cantor Fitzgerald and died at the World Trade Center.
“I found it extremely sweet that I was allowed to hug the queen,” she said. “She was quite endearing, as was the king. I also told him that I thought he was adorable.”
She said Charles told her he was surprised at the memorial site's transformation since he last visited it about 10 years ago. She said Camilla asked her if she came to the memorial often. “I said that I do because I find it be a place of peace and calm and also remembrance, where I can remember my brother, John,” she said.
Before leaving the memorial, Charles and Camilla did not give any public remarks, which is in keeping with tradition. The memorial plaza has generally been off limits to speeches by politicians or other public figures, with the annual commemoration ceremonies there featuring remarks only by the families and friends of the victims.
More events planned for the king and queen
The queen was scheduled to visit the New York Public Library, where she was to deliver a new Roo doll to add to the library’s famed collection of Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animals, as the beloved children’s character turns 100 this year.
The five dolls currently on display -- Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore and Kanga -- were the inspiration for the characters in A.A. Milne’s children’s books. They were owned by the English author’s son, the real-life Christopher Robin, in the 1920s. The dolls were donated to the library in 1987 and are a centerpiece of the library’s collection of children’s literature. Roo, in the books, was a small brown kangaroo and son of Kanga.
The king, meanwhile, was expected to visit an after-school, urban farming effort that works with young people affected by food insecurity, as well as meet later with business and financial leaders in Manhattan.
The royal couple were then expected to attend a reception for the King's Trust, a charity Charles founded in 1976.
The four-day trip is Charles’ first state visit to the U.S. since he became king. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, made four state visits to the U.S.
Monday, the king and queen joined President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump for tea at the White House.
On Tuesday, Charles and Trump had a closed-door meeting in the Oval Office. The king then delivered a rare speech before Congress -- the first by a British monarch since his late mother in 1991 -- followed by a formal state dinner at the White House.
The monarchs are also expected to make stops in Virginia before wrapping up their U.S. visit back at the White House on Thursday with a formal farewell from Trump. Charles then travels solo to Bermuda on his first visit as king to a British overseas territory.
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Collins reported from Hartford, Conn.
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