Why King Charles hosted three state visits in 2025 instead of the usual amount

When Duchess Kate surprised herself with a new (for her!) tiara on December 3, it not only gave royal watchers a new historic headpiece to marvel at, but also meant a bonus for the year.

This is because 2025 will be the first time in 37 years that there have been three state visits to the UK.

In July, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron arrived in Windsor, the base for this year’s visit, due to ongoing restoration work at London’s Buckingham Palace. And in September, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were guests of King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle.

For their third visit, on December 3, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender gathered around a table with members of the royal family at St. George’s Hall in the castle.

There are typically two visits a year, but it’s not unheard of to take on additional hosting gigs. The last time there were three state visits in one calendar year was in 1988.

This year was different with President Trump’s switch from travel. The King was originally scheduled to visit his Scottish home in the summer, but it turned out to be a full state visit, complete with pomp and ceremony. In the original invitation, handed to Trump in the Oval Office by British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in February 2025, King Charles suggested that the unofficial visit to his home would also be a “unique opportunity to plan his historic second state visit to the United Kingdom.” (A subsequent visit was thought to take place in 2026.)

However, as negotiations unfolded between the White House and the British government department tasked with organizing such a diplomatic meeting, the schedules of both the king and the president prevented an arrangement, PEOPLE reported in June.

As the US is Britain’s most important ally, it became clear that a full state visit was the best outcome and it was brought forward. Since the German president was scheduled to visit Japan in early December, only September was left, and President Trump’s visit was scheduled for September 17th.

Because King Charles is undergoing treatment for cancer, the three visits had the added benefit of allowing the royal family to continue to use the “soft power” influence they bring to ongoing negotiations among politicians without the king traveling. King Charles and Queen Camilla are following a regular schedule at home, but the trip is relatively short and short compared to previous years. The couple took a weeklong trip to Italy in April (where they celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary) and visited Canada in May for just under 24 hours. They also visited the Vatican for about a day in October to meet Pope Leo.

Windsor Castle is being used for state visits this year as Buckingham Palace undergoes a complete refurbishment of major services such as cabling and power supply, as well as a complete refurbishment of many state council rooms. But it meant the royal family could use the historic town built around the 1,000-year-old castle to present a fresh approach. The French couple’s summer visit was blessed with clear skies and beautiful sunshine, and for the first time a horse-drawn carriage carrying Prince William and Princess Kate could be seen arriving on the streets beneath the castle walls to help welcome heads of state and visitors.

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For Trump, that was not possible due to security concerns, and the only people who saw him on the street outside the castle were Marine One, who had flown in from London, where he was staying overnight. President Trump and first lady Melania Trump were met from a helicopter at Windsor Park by Prince William and Kate Middleton, who were assigned welcoming duties on all three of their visits.

Horse-drawn carriage processions through the streets of Windsor returned in December for German visitors, allowing the public to catch a glimpse of the royal family and their guests as their carriages climbed the hill to the castle.