This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.King Charles Lays a Wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Latest in a Long History of Royals Visiting Arlington National Cemetery

Caroline HallemannThu, April 30, 2026 at 5:25 PM UTC

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King Charles Lays a Wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Latest in a Long History of Royals Visiting Arlington National Cemetery

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Following a jam-packed schedule in New York City on Wednesday, King Charles and Queen Camilla returned to D.C. this morning to finish off their U.S. State Visit.

After bidding a ceremonial farewell to the President and First Lady in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, Charles and Camilla traveled to Arlington National Cemetery, where upon arrival, they received a 21 gun salute. They were then escorted to the Tomb of the Unknown Solider, where they laid a wreath and posy to, per an official briefing, “commemorate the fallen and honour the UK-US military partnership.”

The British Embassy in Washington described the gesture as one of the “most symbolically significant acts of remembrance a foreign dignitary can undertake on American soil.” A military band then played four muffled ruffles and Taps, before the royals observed a moment of silent remembrance at the monument.

King Charles attends a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.Pool - Getty Images

The royals also visited Arlington’s Display Room, and were given a tour of the exhibition. Before leaving, they viewed the Canadian Cross of Sacrifice, which is dedicated to the U.S. citizens who volunteered for the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) and lost their lives in WWI. Per an official briefing of today’s events, “More than 40,000 residents of the United States (including at least 35,000 US citizens) enlisted in the CEF prior to US entry into the war in April 1917.” At the Cross, the King and Queen met with military personnel from the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Members of the British royal family have visited Arlington a number of times over years. Then-Prince Charles notably paid tribute to British Army officer Field Marshal Sir John Dill at his memorial during his 1985 visit to DC with Princess Diana. Dill is the highest-ranking foreign military officer buried at Arlington.

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Today’s events echo Queen Elizabeth’s 1957 and 1991 visits to the cemetery in which she laid wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Her father King George VI did the same during his landmark 1939 State Visit, which marked the first time a sitting monarch from the UK had stepped foot on U.S. soil.

Queen Elizabeth II lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on May 14, 1991 at Arlington National Cemetery, as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh looks on.LUKE FRAZZA - Getty Images

More recently, Prince Harry paid his respects as well, laying a wreath both at the Tomb of the Unknowns and later at the grave of a soldier who died in Afghanistan.

“I’d laid dozens of wreaths before, but the ritual was different in America. You didn’t place the wreath on the grave yourself; a white-gloved soldier placed it with you, and then you laid your hand singly, for one beat, upon the wreath,” Harry wrote of the experience in his memoir Spare.

“This extra step, this partnering with another living soldier, moved me. Holding my hand to the wreath for that extra second, I found myself a bit wobbly, my mind flooding with images of all the men and women with whom I’d served.”

Prince Philip also visited Arlington National Cemetery for the burial of President John F. Kennedy, a story I tell in my forthcoming book, The Kennedys and the Windsors.

Prince Harry during his 2013 visit to Arlington National Cemetary.Pool - Getty Images

Later today, King Charles and Queen Camilla will head to Front Royal, Virginia’s 250th anniversary parade and visit Shenandoah National Park, before the conclusion of the U.S. leg of their tour.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”