Charles and the Queen's long-expected trip to see US President Donald Trump will take place in late April despite calls for it to be postponed because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Trump is known to be very fond of the royal family but has had little patience with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has offered only defensive support for his longtime ally in the Iran war.
UK opposition Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey condemned the decision to continue with the trip and accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of showing a "staggering lack of backbone" while Trump treated the United Kingdom with contempt.
The official announcement from Buckingham Palace came less than an hour after Trump told the UK to secure the Strait of Hormuz itself and "go get your own oil".
The state visit by the King and Queen will be a "momentous occasion," Trump said in an online post after the announcement.
Charles has visited the US 19 times but it will be his first state visit to the country.
His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, undertook four state visits to the US.
The visit follows Trump's state visit to the UK in September.
That event was a glittering occasion featuring dazzling tiaras, brass bands and a sumptuous banquet served on 200-year-old silver.
Such spectacles are meant to bolster ties between countries, particularly in difficult times.
The King also will travel to Bermuda in April, his first visit to an overseas territory as monarch.
with PA
