The former Olympic diving champion was among the 650 guests to attend a garden party with the royals on Monday
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The King ended the first day of his much-anticipated state visit to the United States by chatting to former Olympic diving champion Tom Daley about their shared love of knitting.
Charles met the retired star during a Washington garden party on Monday, where Camilla spoke to leading figures from domestic abuse charities and in a lighter moment confessed to feeling “jet lagged”.
Mr Daley, 31, who lives in LA with his husband and two children, jetted in for the day to attend the garden party.
He said: “Knitting is my outlet for all my creativity, my mindfulness and my meditation and the King has tried knitting many a time.
“He said he tried knitting when he was eight and he wasn’t very good but he said he might pick it back up – he knows it’s very good for mental health.
“But I want to try and get it back into the school curriculum and maybe he can help me do that.”
Read more: LIVE: King and Queen arrive for plush garden party in Washington to begin four-day US state visit
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The garden party came ahead of the King’s address to both houses of Congress on Tuesday.
The King will use the speech to say the story of the UK and US since America’s independence is “one of the greatest alliances in human history” where the two nations find ways to “come together”.
His address to both houses is likely to be seen as acknowledging tensions between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who have clashed over the American leader’s war against Iran.
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Charles will also reflect that defending common ideals is “crucial for liberty and equality”, as is the rule of law, which lies at the heart of both nations’ democratic traditions and shared economic prosperity.
Before the garden party began, Camilla confessed she was “quite jet lagged” when she met organisers of a time capsule created to mark America’s 250th independence anniversary celebrations this year, and saw some of its contents with the King.
During the open-air soiree in the gardens of the official residence of Sir Christian Turner, the UK’s ambassador to the US, Camilla chatted to charity bosses working to combat child exploitation and sexual abuse.
Charles and Camilla are not able to meet victims and survivors of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein during their four-day visit due to ongoing legal cases, including the arrest of the King’s brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
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Michelle DeLaune, chief executive of the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, praised the Queen as “wonderful” for “raising awareness” and getting “dialogue going”.
She added: “There are many people suffering in silence and having people, someone like her, to look up to gives a sense it’s not so isolating.”
Asked about whether the King and Queen should have met victims and survivors of Epstein, she said: “I think it has to be a choice of individuals, for King and Queen.
“I think the voices of victims and survivors are not only heard but progress made, we will continue working to ensure we are bringing voices loud and clear.”
Among the guests were treasury secretary Scott Bessent, senator Ted Cruz, former speaker Nancy Pelosi, current speaker of the house Mike Johnson and Prince William’s school friend Guy Pelly.
Former Olympic diving champion and celebrity knitter Mr Daley was among the 650 guests, as was football star Esme Morgan, a European title-winning Lioness who plays for Washington Spirit.