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King Charles III’s historic U.S. visit was filled with pomp, pageantry and high-level diplomacy but it was the surprisingly relatable and sometimes unscripted moments that truly captured the internet’s attention.
Charles and Camilla arrived in Washington D.C. on Monday for a four-day trip that marked their first visit to the U.S. as reigning monarchs and included stops in New York and Virginia.
From feeding chickens at a Harlem farm to cracking jokes about the Boston Tea Party during the White House state dinner, the monarch, alongside his wife Queen Camilla, delivered a steady stream of viral moments that showed a lighter, more personal side of the royals.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s historic U.S. trip was filled with viral moments. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
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For his part, President Donald Trump contributed to some of the visit’s social media highlights, from trading jokes with Charles to unscripted interactions that quickly caught fire online.
Here’s a look at the standout moments that had social media buzzing.
King Charles feeds chickens in Harlem
Photos and videos of Charles feeding chickens during a visit to Harlem caught fire on social media. (Aaron Chown/Pool/Getty Images)
In one of the visit’s most widely shared clips, Charles was seen feeding chickens and chatting with children at an urban farm in Harlem.
On Wednesday, the royal couple traveled to New York, where the king visited Harlem Grown, a community organization that transforms abandoned city lots into urban farms and runs an after-school program focused on environmental education, sustainability and nutrition.
During his visit, Charles was flashed a smile as he threw pieces of lettuce into a chicken coop alongside young students from the program.
The monarch, who is a longtime advocate for environmental causes, also took part in other hands-on urban farming activities, including planting lavender and mustard greens, toured the farm and helped make mango salsa.
A candid photo-op moment between the King and Queen
A marker mix-up highlighted the easy dynamic between Charles and Camilla. (Mike Segar/Reuters)
Another viral clip captured a lighthearted behind-the-scenes moment between Charles and Camilla at the official welcome ceremony where the royal couple were greeted by Trump and first lady Melania Trump.
During the staged photo lineup, in which everyone had designated standing markers, Camilla briefly stepped onto the position marked for Charles.
Charles gently guided her into place before kicking aside his own floor marker, which became a viral moment that social media users noted as showcasing the pair’s easy dynamic.
Reaction to “crush” comment
Trump earned a laugh from Charles when the president revealed his late mother had a “crush” on the royal. (Alex Brandon/AP)
While welcoming the royals to the White House, Trump revealed that his late mother, Mary Anne MacLeod Trump, had a “crush” on Charles when he was a young prince.
“She really did love the [royal] family,” Trump said of Mary, who hailed from Scotland.
“But I also remember her saying very clearly, ‘Charles, look, young Charles. He’s so cute,’” he continued as the monarch laughed.
“My mother had a crush on Charles, can you believe it?” Trump added. “I wonder what she’s thinking right now.”
Trump catches a bee in front of Charles, Camilla and Melania
Another unscripted moment that quickly made the rounds online came when Trump appeared to swat and catch a bee during an appearance with the king and queen and Melania.
Shortly after Charles and Camilla arrived, the royals, who are enthusiastic, hands-on beekeepers, joined Trump and Melania for a viewing of the new White House beehive, which the first lady unveiled last week.
Located on the South Lawn, the new hive is designed as a miniature White House and houses two bee colonies.
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In one buzzworthy photo, Trump was pictured holding a bee in his hand as a visibly stunned Melania, Charles and Camilla looked on.
The official X account for the White House shared the image, adding a string of bee emojis. After the photo went viral, the account posted a meme depicting Trump as “The Beekeeper” in a movie poster modeled after the marquee for Jason Statham’s 2024 action film “The Beekeeper.”
The beehive theme carried over into the White House state dinner for Charles and Camilla. The menu, planned by Melania, featured a beehive-shaped chocolate gâteau dessert with a vanilla bean crémeux custard, almond sponge and brown butter crumbles. The dessert was served with crème fraîche ice cream and honey from the White House garden.
“Just give us a ring!” submarine bell gag
Charles’ toast during the state dinner featured a string of buzzworthy quips. (Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images)
Charles’ sense of humor was on full display at the White House state dinner, where he delivered a series of quips that were received with laughter from the room and spread across social media in viral clips.
During his toast to the president and first lady, Charles presented Trump with the original bell from the HMS Trump, a WWII-era British submarine.
“Should you ever need to get ahold of us, just give us a ring!” the king joked.
Boston Tea Party joke
Charles made humorous references to historical events, including the Boston Tea Party. (Henry Nicholls/AFP)
The monarch also drew laughs with a tongue-in-cheek references to American history.
At one point, he referred to the Boston Tea Party of 1773, a famous protest in which American colonists dumped 342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor to oppose taxation without representation ahead of the War of Independence.
While thanking Trump and Melania for a “splendid dinner this evening,” Charles joked that the event was a “very considerable improvement on the Boston Tea Party!”
White House “1814 redevelopment” jab
The monarch joked about Britain’s “attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814.” (Brendan Smialowski/AFP)
Continuing the theme, Charles joked about Britain’s role in burning the White House as he referenced Trump’s demolishment of the East Wing for his ballroom renovation project.
During the War of 1812, British troops set fire to the White House in 1814 after capturing Washington, D.C.
“I cannot help noticing the ‘readjustments’ to the East Wing, Mr. President, following your visit to Windsor Castle last year,” Charles told Trump during the toast.
“I am sorry to say that we British, of course, made our own attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814,” he quipped.
“You’d be speaking French” quip
Charles’ “You’d be speaking French joke” quickly went viral. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
In another moment that caught attention online, Charles playfully countered a comment that Trump made regarding U.K.-U.S. history.
While speaking at Davos in January, Trump remarked that without U.S. intervention in World War II, European countries might be “speaking German.”
During his toast, Charles made tongue-in-cheek reference to Britain’s role in early North American conflicts with France, joking that French influence might have been more dominant in the US if not for British victories.
“Indeed, you recently commented, Mr. President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German. Dare I say that, if it wasn’t for us, you’d be speaking French…!” Charles joked.
A royal nod to Winnie-the-Pooh
Camilla made headlines when she reunited Roo with the Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animal collection at the New York Public Library. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Camilla added her own playful touch to the visit during a stop at New York Public Library where she formally reunited the original “Winnie-the-Pooh” stuffed animal collection with a specially made replacement for the long-lost Roo toy.
Roo is the playful young kangaroo from A.A. Milne’s “Winnie-the-Pooh” stories. The original collection of 1920s plush toys, which originally belonged to Milne’s son, Christopher Robin, has been on display in New York for decades, but the original Roo doll was lost in an orchard in the 1930s.
To mark the 100th anniversary of the first publication of “Winnie-the-Pooh” in 1926, Camilla brought a bespoke replacement Roo, crafted by the original toy maker Merrythought.
During her visit, Camilla, accompanied by “Sex in the City” star Sarah Jessica Parker and “Today” co-host Jenna Bush Hage, presented the new toy to the library to complete the original set of characters.
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The moment gained extra traction online after the royal family shared a lighthearted video following Roo’s “journey” to New York.
Camilla made several appearances with Roo in the video. The queen was seen smiling as she held Roo while reading a “Winnie -the-Pooh” book, and she later carried the toy in her handbag while exiting the plane. In another clip, Camilla beamed as she presented Roo on a pillow while at the library.
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Queen Camilla hugging 9/11 victim’s sister
Camilla is pictured greeting Anthoula Katsimatides, who she also hugged. (Samir Hussein/Pool/Getty Images)
In one heartfelt viral moment, Camilla was photographed hugging Anthoula Katsimatides, whose brother John died when the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed during the attacks.
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“Anyone who thinks that the King and the Queen are not down to earth — nothing is further from the truth,” Katsimatides later told the New York Post.
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“I showed them my picture of John and Camilla said, ‘Oh, he’s quite a looker!” she recalled. “They’re so cool.”
