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As King Charles and Queen Camilla prepare for their U.S. State Visit, the Palace released the couple’s itinerary while in America.

The three-day visit from April 27 to April 30 will include stops in Washington D.C., New York, and Virginia. The king and queen’s tour will begin in D.C., where they will be welcomed at the White House by U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.

According to the Palace, the royals will attend a state dinner at the White House and will also lay a wreath and flowers to honor fallen service members, before departing D.C. for New York City, where the king and queen are expected to meet with first responders and families of victims of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. They will also attend separate engagements in the Big Apple and then wrap up their U.S. tour at a block party in Virginia to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.

But while in the U.S. capital, someone who used to work for the British monarch is hoping the president doesn’t break protocol by doing what he has done every other time he met the royals.

Grant Harrold was King Charles’ personal butler for seven years. During his time working for the now-monarch, Harrold’s duties also included those of valet, housekeeper, house manager, and driver. Since leaving the royal household, he’s become one of the U.K.’s leading etiquette experts, a best-selling author, and a royal commentator.

In 2025, he published his first book, The Royal Butler, which became an Amazon bestseller. He regularly appears on TV offering royal commentary on both current and historic news stories.

Speaking on behalf of Action Network, Harrold told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “Every time Donald Trump meets the royal family, he manages to break protocol. It’s happened so many times now, I think we can almost guarantee there’ll be a breach of protocol again. Most likely, it’ll be Trump doing the wrong handshake or putting his hands on the king, or even dare I say hugging a member of the family. So it’ll be interesting to see what happens this time.”

The king’s former aide added, “My advice to the Trumps would be to look, but don’t touch. As simple as that. Look, smile, be gracious, but please do not touch. Leave the king alone. Donald and Melania don’t need to bow or curtsy as they are not British. However, the president could do with working on his handshake, dignifying it a bit. It should be two or three pumps with your hands to the side, not too strong, not overpowering, not too limp — and make sure there is eye contact. 

“Conversation is also key for these kinds of meetings. Trump should avoid asking anything too personal. For example, he shouldn’t ask about any royal drama. And it’s also vital that anything they do discuss is kept confidential and not repeated. There have been previous incidents where the president has shared details of his personal letters with the king, and this would not have gone down well at the Palace.”

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