King Charles Will Soon Be Reunited With His Surprising American Pen Pal

They've been corresponding for years.

King Charles waving and smiling while getting into a car
(Image credit: Getty Images)

King Charles has met Donald Trump on a number of occasions over the years, and he's set to see the U.S. president once again during Trump's official state visit to the United Kingdom in September. President Trump previously traveled to the U.K. during his first term in 2019, and in July, Buckingham Palace announced his unprecedented second state visit will take place between Sept. 17 and 19. During the trip—which will include a state banquet—the Royal Family will also be reunited with first lady Melania Trump, who has become a pen pal of sorts with The King.

In her memoir Melania, the first lady detailed what it was like visiting London during Queen Elizabeth's reign and revealed that she and her husband kept in touch with King Charles. Describing the end of their June 2019 trip, she wrote: "As we bid farewell to Her Majesty, we extended a cordial invitation for her return visit to the United States. She expressed her gratitude with a warm smile. Sadly, Her Majesty wasn’t able to visit with us again before her death in 2022, but our friendship with the Royal Family continues, and we exchange letters with King Charles to this day.”

Per Hello!, the first lady has noted that she wrote to The King on another occasion, stating, "We kept in touch through letters, exchanging thoughts and ideas regularly." Apparently, the two share interests such as "architecture, gardens, and the arts."

Melania Trump wearing a yellow cape shaking hands with King Charles

Melania Trump is seen with King Charles during an afternoon tea meeting in December 2019.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Queen Camilla, King Charles, Donald Trump, Melania Trump wearing gowns and tuxes and smiling next to each other

The president and first lady hosted a dinner for The King and Queen Camilla (then the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall) during their June 2019 state visit.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In her memoir, Mrs. Trump also shared that she spoke to The King—then the Prince of Wales—about the environment during the "formal and elegant" banquet hosted in honor of the U.S. state visit. "Our paths had crossed many years ago in New York City,” Melania said of King Charles. "This time we engaged in an interesting conversation about his deep-rooted commitment to environmental conservation."

In addition to the state banquet, the first lady also wrote about the "warm" feelings she and the president shared toward the Royal Family. "Donald and I hosted an intimate dinner in honor of Prince Charles and the Duchess at the US ambassador’s residence—a perfect expression of the enduring ties between our nations," she wrote of their 2019 trip.

She added, "Despite the tumultuous backdrop of British politics at the time surrounding Brexit and changes at the Prime Minister’s office, the Queen and her family extended a warm welcome to us, treating us with the utmost hospitality."

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.