King will have 'appropriate security' for US trip, minister says

The King's state visit to the US will have "appropriate security in place in relation to the risk", a minister has told the BBC after shots were fired at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington.

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said the government and Buckingham Palace had been in "close co-operation" with US officials before the trip, which begins on Monday.

"Further discussions will be taking place today ahead of next week," Jones told BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.

Speaking later on the same programme as Jones, shadow home secretary Chris Philp said it was "vital" to ensure the King is properly protected and urged security for the monarch to be "urgently reviewed overnight" by the US and UK security teams.

Philp said security arrangements on such visits were ordinarily very tight but they should be reviewed afresh "to make sure there are no loopholes at all".

But he said the trip should "absolutely go ahead" as violence should not be allowed to stop diplomatic relations and politics from continuing as normal.

Trump later told reporters that one Secret Service agent was shot at very close range, but was saved by his bullet-proof vest.

The Secret Service, which among other duties protects the president and other key people, confirmed there were no other injuries and said one person had been taken into custody.

Sir Keir Starmer said on X he was shocked by the incident and that it was a relief everyone attending the event, including Trump and the first lady Melania, was safe.

"Any attack on democratic institutions or on the freedom of the press must be condemned in the strongest possible terms" he added.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey likewise condemned the "really shocking scenes".

He wrote on X: "Political violence is wrong. We must all condemn this attack and be thankful no lives were lost."

King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be hosted by the president on the four-day trip - the first UK state visit to the US since Elizabeth II's in 2007.

The King is expected to address both houses of Congress, visit the 9/11 memorial in New York, and attend a wreath laying to honour fallen US and UK soldiers in Virginia.