Royals in NYC: King Charles and Queen Camilla Visit 9/11 Memorial

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the lives lost during the 9/11 attack, British royals King Charles III and Queen Camilla took part in a wreath-laying event at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. A total of 2,977 lives were lost on that tragic day, including 67 British subjects.

During a time of high tension between the United States and the United Kingdom due to the war in Iran, the visit was meant to burnish the longstanding ties between the two countries. This was the first time that a British monarch had visited the 9/11 Memorial and Museum since its opening in 2014 and came as Charles made his first visit to the United States since ascending to the throne.

“We honour the memory of those who tragically lost their lives on 11th September 2001,” the royal couple wrote on a note card paired with a bouquet of white flowers left on the edge of one of the memorial pools. “We stand in enduring solidarity with the American people in the face of profound loss.” The royal couple was joined by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as they laid the flowers.

“As New Yorkers and Americans, we are united in our pledge to never forget those we lost on 9/11. We will always remember the outpouring of support from so many people across the United Kingdom in the aftermath of the attacks and are grateful to King Charles and Queen Camilla for returning to this sacred site,” said former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who is the chairman of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. “As a new generation learns about the day that shook our city and the world 25 years ago, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum continues to be a place of reflection and inspiration.” Bloomberg was running for mayor at the time of the attack and was elected in November after getting a ringing endorsement from Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was being hailed at the time as a “America’s Mayor.”

The royal couple met several elected officials, including the current NYC Mayor, Zohran Mamdani. The mayor did not have more than a brief hello, but when asked at a press conference several hours earlier in the Bronx what he would say to the British monarch if he had a chance, Mamdani said he would ask King Charles to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond to India. The gemstone is a 105-carat jewel which has been in British possession for more than 170 years after the British compelled a ten year old Indian royal to turn one of the largest cut diamonds in the world over to Queen Victoria. It is currently on the Queen Mother’s crown.

The rest of the day for the royal couple was more lighthearted. Charles took a trip to a community organization in Harlem known as Harlem Grown, which assists kids and hosts agricultural and educational programs. He gave lettuce to some of the hungry chickens from the coop, and watched kids plant fresh lavender.

While Charles was busy acting out a role as a farmer, Camilla made her way over to the New York Public Library for a literary event. There she spoke on the power of literature, and also gave a replica of Roo, a character from “Winnie-The-Pooh”, which the library had lost years ago.

At the end of their trip, Their Majesties attended a gala at Christie’s Auction House for Charles’s charity, the King’s Trust. Celebrities such as Anna Wintour, Martha Stewart, and Donatella Versace also made an appearance. Charles called the gala a “wonderful opportunity to celebrate both my King’s Trust and the enduring cultural bond between the people of the United Kingdom and the United States.”