King Charles and Queen Camilla honour US soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery

Dorothy Reddin
Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:08:21 +0000

King Charles and Queen Camilla paid tribute to fallen service members during their US State Visit with a solemn ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, one of America's most important sites of military remembrance.

The royal couple honoured the enduring UK-US military partnership by laying a wreath and a posy at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The visit carried particular historical resonance, echoing Queen Elizabeth II's own wreath-laying at the same location during her inaugural American State Visit in 1957.

The Tomb has served as the final resting place for an unidentified First World War service member since 1921, with remains from subsequent conflicts added in 1958 and 1984.

Their Majesties were greeted with a 21-gun salute upon arrival, followed by the playing of both nations' national anthems.

Major General Gant and Ambassador Monica Crawley escorted the King and Queen as they approached the Tomb.

His Majesty placed a wreath while the Queen laid a posy, accompanied by four muffled ruffles and Taps performed by a military band, followed by a moment of silent reflection.

The Tomb has been continuously guarded around the clock since 1937, having first received daytime sentinels from Fort Myer in 1926.

A second 21-gun salute marked the royal couple's departure from the cemetery.

Within the cemetery's Display Room, Executive Director Karen Durham-Aguilera and Senior Historian Dr Allison Finkelstein guided the royal couple through the exhibition.

Prior to leaving, Their Majesties visited the Canadian Cross of Sacrifice, a memorial honouring American citizens who died while serving with the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War.

Over 40,000 US residents, including a minimum of 35,000 American citizens, joined the CEF before the United States entered the conflict in April 1917.

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At the Cross, the King and Queen met serving military personnel representing four nations: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Queen Camilla chose a denim blue wool dress designed by Anna Valentine for the cemetery visit.

Her choice of jewellery carried diplomatic significance, with the Queen selecting a Cartier brooch featuring intertwined US and UK flags, the same piece she had worn upon landing at Joint Base Andrews at the start of the State Visit.

This represented a deliberate change from earlier in the day, when she had worn a Tiffany brooch presented by the First Lady during last year's Windsor State Visit, while bidding farewell to Donald and Melania Trump.