ARLINGTON, Va. — On April 30, 2026, cannons fired a 21-gun salute as King Charles III and Queen Camilla entered Arlington National Cemetery for an Armed Forces Full Honors Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The ceremony took place on the final day of the royal couple’s state visit to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence.
The king and queen were escorted by Commanding General of the Joint Task Force–National Capital Region and U.S. Army Military District of Washington Maj. Gen. Antionette Gant and U.S. Ambassador, Assistant Secretary of State and Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley. They stood at attention as the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” played “God Save the King” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
At the Tomb, King Charles laid a wreath composed of red poppies, a symbol of remembrance in the British Commonwealth dating from World War I. The wreath included a note from the king that read, “In everlasting remembrance.” The queen then placed a bouquet of red, white and purple flowers next to the wreath.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier itself embodies the two nations’ deep and poignant historic connections. Dedicated on Nov. 11, 1921, with the burial of an Unknown Soldier from World War I, the Tomb at Arlington was partly inspired by Britain’s Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey, dedicated exactly one year earlier. All three Unknowns, representing American service members who died in World War I, World War II and the Korean War, fought in conflicts in which the United States and Britain were allies.
After the wreath-laying ceremony, Army National Military Cemeteries and Office of Army Cemeteries Executive Director Karen Durham-Aguilera greeted the royal couple inside the Memorial Amphitheater. Durham-Aguilera later said, “Arlington National Cemetery is honored that the king and queen visited these hallowed grounds while commemorating America’s 250th birthday. The enduring bond between the United States and the United Kingdom stands as a testament to shared history and sacrifice.”
The king and queen’s visit to the cemetery concluded at the Canadian Cross of Sacrifice — a memorial at which Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, King Charles’ parents, had also paid respects during their 1957 state visit. This memorial honors Americans who volunteered to fight, and ultimately died, with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War I, prior to U.S. entrance into the conflict.
Like the Tomb, the Canadian Cross reflects shared commemorative traditions. Designed by English architect Sir Reginald Blomfield for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the Cross of Sacrifice stands as an iconic emblem of World War I at Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries around the world. Fittingly, the king and queen were accompanied at this memorial by service members from not only the U.S. and the U.K., but also British Commonwealth nations Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
The royals’ visit to Arlington National Cemetery — described by the British Embassy as “one of the most symbolically significant acts of remembrance a foreign dignitary can undertake on American soil” — reflected the enduring military, diplomatic and cultural alliance between the United States and the United Kingdom.
As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary of independence on July 4, we remember that our traditions of freedom result from, and survive because of, a shared history of service and sacrifice.
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