LONDON (AP) — King Charles III is going ahead with a state visit to the United States despite calls for the ceremonial event to be called off due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated criticism of the British government for failing to support the war in Iran.
Buckingham Palace said Tuesday that the king and Queen Camilla would travel to the U.S. in late April to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence. Trump put the dates as April 27-30.
“I look forward to spending time with the King, whom I greatly respect,'' Trump said on Truth Social. ”It will be TERRIFIC!”
The visit follows Trump’s state visit to the U.K. in September, a glittering occasion that was seen as part of Britain’s effort to shore up the so-called special relationship between the two countries as the president’s America First policies threatened the established global order.
But that hasn’t stopped Trump from chiding the U.K. for refusing to allow U.S. aircraft to use British bases for offensive operations against Iran. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that countries who can’t get jet fuel because of restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz should “build up some delayed courage, go the Strait and just TAKE IT.’’
He has repeatedly lashed out at Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying at one point that he is “not Winston Churchill.”
That had led some members of Parliament to demand that Starmer call off the state visit to show Britain’s disapproval and avoid any embarrassment for the king during a time of tension between the two countries.
Ed Davey, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats, on Tuesday said Starmer had shown “a staggering lack of backbone” by allowing the state visit to go ahead.
“To send the king on a state visit to the U.S. after Trump dismissed our Royal Navy as toys is a humiliation and a sign of a government too weak to stand up to bullies,” Davey said. “What appalling thing does Trump have to do next to make the government see sense and cancel the state visit?”
The monarch hosts state visits at home and travels abroad at the request of the elected government, which uses the pomp and circumstance of such occasions to bolster relations with countries around the world. The decision to proceed with the long-discussed visit may be seen as an effort by Starmer’s government to ease the tensions caused by the war, or at least not enflame them.
Trump is known to be fond of the royal family and reveled in last year’s visit to Windsor Castle, where he was welcomed by a military band. The king hosted a banquet for him in a hall dripping with flowers and gold leaf.
The visit came about after Starmer hurried to Washington in February 2025, just five weeks after Trump began his second term, and hand-delivered the king’s invitation to the president.
It was the first time any world leader received the honor of a second state visit, and the first time the invitation was delivered in a personal letter from the king, which Trump proudly displayed for TV cameras.
“It’s a great, great honor,” Trump said at the time, noting that the letter included an invitation to Windsor Castle. “That’s really something.”
Now the king is heading to Washington for the return engagement.
Charles has visited the U.S. 19 times, but this will be his first state visit to the country since becoming king. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, made four state visits to the U.S.
The king also will travel to Bermuda in conjunction with the U.S. trip, his first visit to the overseas territory as monarch.
FILE -Britain's King Charles III waves as he arrives for a visit to University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre in London, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
Britain's King Charles arrives at Datchet Road to greet Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his wife ahead of a carriage procession to Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (Justin Tallis/Pool Photo via AP)
Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla wait at Datchet Road to greet Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his wife ahead of a carriage procession to Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (Justin Tallis/Pool Photo via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart delivered another quarter of impressive sales with speedy deliveries and low prices becoming a strong magnet for people across the income spectrum that are spending more on almost everything, particularly gasoline.
Yet like other major retailers posting financial results this week, Walmart was cautious about the rest of the year given the current economic uncertainty. On Thursday, it issued a forecast for the current quarter that was weaker than what Wall Street had been expecting.
Shares slipped about 7% Thursday.
Walmart has resonated with many Americans who are increasingly careful about where they spend their money as inflation takes a bigger bite out of paychecks, notably gasoline which has soared since the start of the Iran war in late February. Walmart can serve as a barometer of consumer spending given its vast customer base. More than 150 million customers are on its website or in its stores every week, according to Walmart.
One telling shift during the quarter that captures the stress many Americans are feeling: The number of gallons that customers put in their cars during visits to U.S. Walmart and Sam’s Club gas stations fell below 10 for the first time since 2022, which was the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That’s an indication of stress,” said Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey.
Walmart touted strong sales that were fueled by online shopping on Thursday.
Comparable sales at U.S. Walmart stores rose 4.1% during the three-month period ended April 30. Walmart’s U.S online sales rose 26%, the company said.
Walmart’s promise of lower prices, faster delivery and a refresh of its merchandise has attracted wealthier shoppers. The biggest gains in market share for Walmart are coming from households with annual income over $100,000. That shift is taking place as lower-income shoppers become more entrenched in what economists collectively call a K-shaped economy.
“We see with our customers that the high-income customer is spending with confidence into many categories, while the lower income consumer is more budget conscious and perhaps navigating financial distress,” Rainey told analysts on Thursday.
Rainey told analysts that higher fuel prices took a bite out of profits as it was forced to absorb higher transportation costs. And while the company is focused on offering low prices, Walmart may raise prices later if fuel costs remain high, he said.
U.S. retailers have spent months navigating an uncertain economic environment, from President Donald Trump’s tariffs to the impact of soaring gasoline prices due to the war. The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline raced higher this week and did so again overnight. Gasoline prices are about 45% above where they were at this time last year.
Based on quarterly financial reports from Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowe's and TJX, shoppers are cautious but still spending, helped by more generous tax refunds. Yet there is a widespread belief among economists that once those refunds dry up, shoppers will pull back on spending. Consumer spending is the dominant economic engine for the U.S., and retreat would have broad implications for the U.S.
Target reported the largest jump in comparable sales in four years Wednesday, but a cautious outlook overshadowed rather convincing evidence that changes under the company’s new CEO are landing solidly with customers. Target raised its annual revenue outlook Wednesday, but it was still below the pace of its first quarter this year.
The nation’s two largest home improvement retailers Home Depot and Lowe’s reported strong sales, but both companies said that customers are putting off larger home projects.
“I think, overall, this has been the most difficult housing market that I’ve faced in this business since the financial crisis,” Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison said this week.
Walmart, based in Bentonville, Arkansas reported first-quarter earnings of $5.33 billion, or 67 cents, for the quarter ended April 30. Adjusted per-share results were 66 cents, matching the 66 cents that analysts expected, according to FactSet.
For the year-ago quarter, the company reported net income of $4.48 billion, or 56 cents per share.
Sales rose 7.3% to $177.75 billion in the fiscal first quarter, above the $174.84 billion that analysts predicted.
Walmart said higher fuel prices took a bite out of profits as it was forced to absorb higher transportation costs.
The company highlighted its speedier deliveries, which is driving more shoppers to buy more often. Rainey said that roughly 60% of U.S. online deliveries arrive at customers' homes in 30 minutes or less.
For the second quarter, Walmart expects sales to be 4% to 5% higher than the same period a year ago. It also expects per-share profit to be between 72 cents and 74 cents. Analysts had been projecting per-share earns of 75 cents on sales of $186.2 billion, according to FactSet.
Walmart stuck to the annual guidance that it issued in February.
Drones operated by Zipline leave base to make deliveries from a Walmart store in Pea Ridge, Ark., Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
