A mayor and a monarch.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are in New York City on Wednesday, April 29, to lay a bouquet of flowers at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum as part of their U.S. visit to mark the nation's 250th anniversary. The king and queen's four-day trip began in Washington on April 27 and has included a speech by Charles to the U.S. Congress and meetings with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump amid simmering tensions between the U.S. and the United Kingdom over the Iran war.
The royals are set to meet families of victims and first responders and they will be greeted by elected officials —including New York’s newly-inaugurated Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The meeting with the city's first Muslim mayor comes with significance at home and abroad as the politician's profile grows in the U.K.
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Here's what the royals' encounter with the mayor means.
A historic visit to 9/11 site
Charles and Camilla's tour of Ground Zero is the first time the royals have visited the memorial to commemorate the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people, was linked to the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda. In the aftermath of 9/11, the country also experienced a massive surge in Islamophobia, with FBI data indicating anti-Muslim hate crimes skyrocketed by 1,600% in 2001.
Twenty-five years later, the royals will be welcomed by Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor, alongside New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Mike Sherill.
The royals will also meet charities and organizations supporting the families of victims and preserving the legacy of 9/11, including Tuesday’s Children, which provides youth mentoring, as well as representatives from the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Garden, a living memorial to the British and Commonwealth citizens who died in the attacks.
Why Mamdani matters to the UK
The royals meeting with Mamdani comes as the self-described Democratic Socialist has drawn significant attention among left-leaning political parties in the U.K. Everyday people in the U.K. are increasingly frustrated by high living costs, and many feel the incumbent Labour Party hasn't done enough to answer on affordability, among other campaign promises, experts previously told USA TODAY.
As a result, extreme political movements are on the rise, with the far-left Green Party lead by London council member Zack Polanksi expected to nab votes in the May 7 elections across the country, according to Ipsos data from the U.K. For liberals who see Labour as too soft on progressive causes, the Green Party is a popular new route that aims to deliver on unemployment for young people and increase public funding for health care.
The Greens strive to mirror the success of Mamdani's progressive campaign in New York City, according to Tony Travers, associate dean of the School of Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science. For hardline liberals in the U.K., Mamdani is a "hero," Travers says. Like Mamdani, Polanski has set out a platform on taxes for the wealthiest.
Following Mamdani's victory in 2025, Polanski, the first openly gay and Jewish leader of the Green Party, told Reuters: "This is important - not just because it's important for New York but actually I think this resonates throughout the world. But this is about improving people's lives, recognising the inequality that lies both at the heart of New York, but frankly, around much of the world."
While the king is not a political figure, his meeting will Mamdani may grab the attention of U.K. voters who want to align with the mayor's progressive agenda.
"Polanski wants to follow the Mamdani path," Travers says.
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mamdani to meet King Charles in New York City
