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WASHINGTON, December 27, 2025 – King Charles III and the Prince of Wales are poised to embark on separate U.S. visits in 2026, reportedly as part of a concerted effort to revive a stalled trade deal with the United States. The potential visits come as Washington paused a multibillion-pound tech investment with the UK, citing trade disagreements.
Royal Push for Trade Amidst U.S. Investment Pause
The planned trips signal a renewed focus on strengthening economic ties between the UK and the US, especially in the tech sector.
- King Charles is expected to visit in April.
- Prince William will likely visit during the FIFA World Cup in June/July, potentially around July 4th.
- A £31 billion tech investment deal is currently paused due to trade disagreements.
Talks regarding King Charles’s visit are said to be progressing, with april being floated as a likely timeframe, according to reports. Prince William is anticipated to make a separate trip later in the year, timed to coincide with the FIFA World Cup, hosted jointly by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. There’s even speculation his visit could be scheduled around the July 4th Independence Day celebrations.
What was the value of the paused tech investment deal between the U.S. and the UK? The paused investment totaled £31 billion, which was initially hailed as a “generational step-change” in the relationship between the two countries by Keir Starmer when announced during a state visit by Donald Trump. The deal included a £22 billion investment from microsoft and £5 billion from Google.
The prospective visits would mark the first by a reigning British monarch to the U.S. since Queen Elizabeth II accepted an invitation from President George W. bush in 2007. this diplomatic push follows a recent setback in U.S.-UK trade relations, as Washington paused it’s promised multibillion-pound investment into British tech earlier this month, citing a lack of progress in addressing trade disagreements.
The pause in the £31 billion deal-originally celebrated by Keir Starmer as a significant betterment in the U.S.-UK relationship-saw U.S. tech companies delaying billions in planned spending in the UK.Washington cited insufficient movement from the UK in reducing trade barriers in other sectors as the reason for the hold. The UK government had presented the agreement as a key outcome of its efforts to avoid tariffs on British exports.
Reports indicate that U.S. negotiators have grown frustrated with the slow pace of progress toward a broader trade deal, initially announced in May 2025, which allowed Britain to avoid the 20% tariffs imposed by the U.S. president on many other nations. Key sticking points include Britain’s digital services tax, which is opposed by Trump’s big tech allies, and demands for greater access to British markets for U.S. agricultural products.
Downing Street acknowledged earlier in December that negotiations were “never straightforward,” but confirmed that “active conversations” with the U.S. were ongoing. the prime minister is not expected to accompany the king on his visit; rather, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is highly likely to represent the government, according to reports.
Prince William’s visit is expected to leverage his role as president of the Football Association, with England’s third group match of the World Cup scheduled for June 27 in New Jersey, just a week before the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence on July 4.
Looking back, queen Elizabeth II and prince Philip visited Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and New York during the bicentennial celebrations in 1976, a six-day trip that included a state dinner hosted by President Gerald ford. Reflecting on the visit during her christmas broadcast that year, the queen remarked, “This year we went to America to join in their bicentennial celebrations. Who would have thought 200 years ago that a descendant of King George III could have taken part in these celebrations? Yet that same king was among the first to recognize that old scores must be settled and differences reconciled.” She added, “The United States was born in bitter conflict with Britain but we didn’t remain enemies for long.”
Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on upcoming royal engagements.
