Britain’s head of state King Charles III sent a personal message of congratulations to President Trump on his inauguration, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.

The message reflected the ‘enduring special relationship between the U.K. and the U.S.,’ a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace told Fox News Digital.

The letter was delivered as Trump was sworn in for a second term as commander-in-chief at the Capitol Rotunda on Monday, capping a remarkable return to office.

Further details about the contents of the message have yet to be revealed. 

It’s not the first time the monarch has written to Trump. King Charles also wrote to the president in July in the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Trump has often spoke about his strong admiration for the monarchy and previously referred to King Charles as ‘a wonderful guy.’

During his state visit to the U.K. in 2019, President Trump said he had an ‘automatic chemistry’ with Queen Elizabeth II and described her as a ‘spectacular woman.’

Trump and Charles are no strangers – the two leaders have met several times over the years.

They first crossed paths in 2005, when Charles and Queen Camilla visited the U.S. They met again at President George H.W. Bush’s funeral in 2018.

In 2019, the two met to discuss climate change, and a meeting that was scheduled to last 15 minutes lasted an hour and a half, according to comments Trump made at the time. He added then that Charles, a longtime environmentalist, ‘did most of the talking.’

Following the visit, Clarence House said Trump and Charles have a ‘good working relationship.’

It is unclear if President Trump will be invited back to the U.K. for a state visit during his second term. The Telegraph reported last month that any such visit would be unlikely to happen until at least 2026, given the schedule of King Charles.

King Charles and Queen Camilla may receive an invitation to Washington, D.C., next year to attend the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

King Charles has made the acquaintance of 10 of the 14 U.S. presidents who have held office since he was born in 1948, according to the Associated Press.

He was just 10 when he checked off his first president in 1959. That was when Dwight Eisenhower visited Queen Elizabeth II and her family at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where she died on Sept. 8, 2022, after a 70-year reign. Charles then ascended the throne after the queen’s passing.

Charles never met Harry Truman, Gerald Ford, Lyndon Johnson and John F. Kennedy.

Last month, President Trump and Prince William shook hands at the re-opening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and afterward held a sit-down meeting at the British Embassy. 

Trump and William also separately met with world leaders at Notre Dame, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

Meanwhile, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer posted a video message of congratulations to President Trump on Monday. He spoke about the deep ties both nations share and said he looked forward to taking ‘our partnership to the next level.’

‘For centuries, the relationship between our two nations has been one of collaboration, cooperation and enduring partnership. It is a uniquely close bond,’ Starmer, who met President Trump in September, said. 

‘Together we have defended the world from tyranny and worked towards our mutual security and prosperity.’ 

Fox News’ Emily Trainham and Brie Stimson, as well as The Associated Press, contributed to this report. 

Donald Trump supporters who attended the president’s inauguration parade at Capital One Arena in downtown D.C. on Monday shared their experiences braving the cold in the nation’s capital.

Trump supporters told Fox News Digital they arrived as early as 4:30 a.m. Monday and stood for hours in the cold weather to secure a seat at the arena for the inaugural parade, noting that the line to get in had already formed by the time they arrived bright and early. Reports indicated that supporters had begun lining up as early as the night before. The parade got moved indoors amid concerns about the cold weather, but one supporter noted that it wasn’t as cold as she had expected. 

‘This morning we got up at 4. We got on the train at 5 [in the morning] and got here, and already the line was forming,’ a supporter who traveled from Texas said. ‘We stayed in the cold weather for five hours.’

‘We got here [Sunday] night, but we stayed closer to the airport just to not fight traffic,’ added Kaitlin Rogers, who traveled from Delaware. ‘Ubered in, got here at what? 6:30 [in the morning]? Stood in line for four and a half hours.’

Gina Raper, a Trump fan from North Carolina, said she arrived as early as Friday to attend Trump’s Sunday rally ahead of the formal swearing-in ceremony and ‘stood out all day in the rain’ to secure a seat there as well.     

‘We were there 5 o’clock yesterday morning and stood out all day in the rain. We got in, it was awesome,’ said Raper. ‘Then we were there at, like, 4:30 or 5 this morning, all day.’

When asked if their experience was worth braving the cold, the answer was a resounding yes. 

‘We’re so thankful,’ Raper said after gaining entrance to Capital One Arena on Saturday. 

‘It wasn’t as cold as we thought it was going to be. It was definitely worth the wait,’ added Andrea Rogers, who was traveling with Kaitlin from Delaware. ‘We are so happy to be here.’

When asked what they hope to see out of the new Trump administration, the supporters who spoke to Fox News Digital highlighted Trump’s plans to secure the border and ‘rebuild’ the military. One supporter said he was hoping to see the new Trump administration challenge the pharmaceutical and food industries, which are priorities of Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

‘Good leaders train good leaders, and he’s got the best team I have ever – well, everybody would agree, everybody in America – this is the best team,’ said Raper.

‘Trump will fix it!’ one supporter said.

Two Americans have been freed in a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Afghanistan’s Taliban in exchange for a Taliban figure imprisoned for life in California, officials said Tuesday.

The family of Ryan Corbett, one American freed by the Taliban in the deal, told Fox News that he is finally on his way back home to the U.S. after being detained for more than two years ago while on a business trip.

‘Today, our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Ryan’s life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 894 days of our lives,’ a statement from Corbett’s family said. 

Corbett’s family thanked both President Trump and former President Biden, along with National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and other current and former government officials.

Fox News is working to confirm the identity of the second American freed in the deal.

Corbett was abducted Aug. 10, 2022, after returning to Afghanistan, where he and his family lived during the collapse of the U.S.-backed government a year prior. He arrived in Afghanistan on a valid 12-month visa to pay and train staff, as part of a business venture he led aimed at promoting Afghanistan’s private sector through consulting services and lending.

Corbett’s family also praised the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar, which hosted negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban over the years, ‘for their vital role in facilitating Ryan’s release, and for their visits to Ryan as the United States’ Protecting Power in Afghanistan.’

The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry in Kabul confirmed the swap, saying two unidentified U.S. citizens had been exchanged for Khan Mohammed, who was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment in 2008 on drug trafficking and terrorism charges. He was being held in California.

Mohammed was detained on the battlefield in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province. The Justice Department at the time referred to Mohammed as ‘a violent jihadist and narcotics trafficker’ who ‘sought to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan using rockets.’ He was the first person to be convicted on U.S. narco-terrorism laws.

The deal comes less than a day after President Trump was sworn in as commander in chief, succeeding former President Biden, who oversaw the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

The Taliban called the exchange the result of ‘long and fruitful negotiations’ with the U.S. and said it was a good example of solving problems through dialogue.

‘The Islamic Emirate looks positively at the actions of the United States of America that help the normalization and development of relations between the two countries,’ it said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Newly-inaugurated President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the U.S. to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO).

In 2020, Trump started the ball rolling toward extricating the U.S. from the United Nations agency, but President Joe Biden reversed course after taking office in 2021.

‘The United States intends to withdraw from the WHO. The Presidential Letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations signed on January 20, 2021, that retracted the United States’ July 6, 2020, notification of withdrawal is revoked,’ Trump’s order declares.

‘The Secretary of State shall immediately inform the Secretary-General of the United Nations, any other applicable depositary, and the leadership of the WHO of the withdrawal,’ the order instructs.

The U.S. Senate voted 99-0 on Monday to confirm Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to serve as Secretary of State — Rubio voted for himself before resigning from the Senate.

Trump’s order calls for the Secretary of State and director of the Office of Management and Budget to ‘pause the future transfer of any United States Government funds, support, or resources to the WHO;’ ‘recall and reassign United States Government personnel or contractors working in any capacity with the WHO;’ as well as ‘identify credible and transparent United States and international partners to assume necessary activities previously undertaken by the WHO.’

The WHO issued a statement on Tuesday lamenting Trump’s decision, and expressing hope that the U.S. will rethink the move.

‘The World Health Organization regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the Organization,’ the globalist body noted. ‘We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe.’

Trump signed a flurry of orders after taking office on Monday.

One of them declares it U.S. policy ‘to recognize two sexes, male and female,’ which ‘are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.’

Trump is only the second president in U.S. history to win election to two non-consecutive terms — the first was Grover Cleveland in the 19th century.

Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report

President Trump was inaugurated for a second time on Monday. 

The inauguration kicked off the day on a historic note, with the ceremony moved indoors due to freezing temperatures. Notable moments played out throughout the day, including Trump’s fiery speech shortly after being sworn in, to an audio mishap that inadvertently turned into a collaborative singing effort. 

Here are the top five moments from Trump’s second inauguration. 

Trump ushers in ‘Golden Age of America,’ bashes Biden-Harris admin in inaugural speech 

‘The golden Age of America begins right now,’ Trump said shortly after being sworn in. ‘From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world.’

Trump started out his first speech officially as president by saying the U.S. would now be ‘the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer.’

The president assailed the Biden-Harris administration as the former president and vice president looked on. Trump specifically slammed the ‘vicious, violent, and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department and our government’ and said the country has been operating under ‘a radical and corrupt establishment.’

‘While the pillars of our society lay broken and seemingly in complete disrepair, we now have a government that cannot manage even a simple crisis at home,’ Trump said.

Trump criticized the Biden administration’s handling of various national disasters, including hurricane damage in North Carolina and recent wildfires in California. 

‘Jan. 20th, 2025, is Liberation Day,’ Trump said. ‘It is my hope that our recent presidential election will be remembered as the greatest and most consequential election in the history of our country.’

President Donald Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, did their first dance together as POTUS and FLOTUS Monday night at the Commander-in-Chief Inaugural Ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The dance featured a nifty spin move by the President.

First lady Melania Trump donned a white, strapless gown with black detailing following a full day of inauguration festivities. She coupled the dress with a black choker.

The ball is one of two others that Trump made an appearance in: the Liberty Ball and Starlight Ball.

Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha, also joined Trump and Melania onstage for a quick dance, before they exchanged partners with military servicemembers.

From the best to worst dressed: Melania Trump, Sen. John Fetterman draw eyes over fashion choices 

First lady Melania Trump donned a weather-appropriate outfit for her husband’s second inaugural ceremony. Melania was pictured wearing a custom Adam Lippes double-breasted navy coat with a matching boater hat designed by Eric Javits while on her way to a service at St. John’s Church on Inauguration Day, according to Page Six. 

Social media users flocked to X, formerly Twitter, to post compliments on the first lady’s inaugural getup, with many saying she looked ‘elegant’ and ‘classy.’

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, on the other hand, had a slightly more warmer-weather-style outfit for the inauguration ceremony. Fetterman was seen sporting gray gym shorts, a dark hoodie and sneakers as he arrived at Capitol Hill.

The senator’s attire also drew attention given the chilly temperatures on Monday. Trump’s second inauguration notably marked the coldest presidential inauguration ceremony in more than 40 years.

Trump’s awkward kiss attempt with Melania 

Trump tried to kiss Melania shortly before his swearing-in after initially entering the Capitol Rotunda, leading to an awkward air-kiss encounter. 

Trump and Melania were surrounded by former presidents and their wives along with Cabinet nominees, foreign dignitaries and other high-profile guests upon entering the building. Trump leaned in to give Melania a kiss on the cheek when Melania’s hat got in the way.

They ultimately settled on an air kiss.

Carrie Underwood sings a cappella following music mishap

Country singer Carrie Underwood showed she was a true professional during her rendition of ‘America the Beautiful’ after a hiccup with the music. 

Underwood was welcomed with a round of applause as she was introduced. Once on stage, Underwood patiently waited for the instrumentals to start, which ultimately never came.

‘If you know the words, help me out here,’ she finally said before launching into an a cappella version of the song.

Members of the audience, including the former president and vice president, joined in singing the song.

Underwood wrapped up her performance by shaking Biden’s hand and sharing a moment with Trump and Vice President Vance before leaving the room.

President Donald Trump’s second inaugural address was a policy-oriented message ‘of hope and unity,’ experts said.  

Kevin Roberts, president of the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, called Trump’s address ‘substantive’ when it came to outlining the president’s agenda for the next four years. 

‘Trump was policy-specific from beginning to end,’ Roberts said. ‘And I think that that’s something that’s going to be remembered as a distinguishing characteristic of the speech, because people, Americans waking up tomorrow watching the news, reading the news, will remember that Trump articulated a playbook.’

‘The golden Age of America begins right now,’ Trump said as he delivered his inaugural address on Capitol Hill Monday.

‘From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world,’ he continued. ‘We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer. During every single day of the Trump administration, I will very simply put America first.’

Trump notably bashed ‘the vicious, violent and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department’ as well as the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of both foreign and domestic issues while both the former president and vice president looked on. Trump specifically noted the North Carolina hurricane disasters and the recent wildfires ravaging Southern California. 

‘We have a government that has given unlimited funding to the defense of foreign borders but refuses to defend American borders or, more importantly, its own people,’ Trump said.

Trump’s policy-specific speech was ‘very important right now because of all of the policy failures of the Biden-Harris regime,’ Roberts told Fox News Digital on Monday. ‘And I know from the kind of work that Heritage does, not just in D.C. but in states around the country, that Trump’s base and a lot of the independent voters who voted for him this time around [were] looking for a policy plan, and he articulated it.’

‘President Trump has officially kicked off a new chapter for America,’ Jessica Anderson, president of the conservative super PAC Sentinel Action Fund, told Fox News Digital on Monday. ‘His speech was one of hope and unity as he set the tone for the next four years of prosperity, security and strength.’

Both Roberts and Anderson noted that Trump’s address also was a turning point in definitively announcing that a new administration was taking over the White House. 

‘As President Trump made clear, he is not going to waste any time getting to work for the American people, and he has already teed up dozens of executive orders on everything from securing the border to properly defining gender,’ Anderson said. 

‘It was not gratuitous in his criticism of his political opponents,’ Roberts said. ‘But you didn’t have to do much reading between the lines to understand that the sheriff is back in town. He’s going to take this country back.’

Trump’s speech also emphasized his top priority in making America ‘a nation that is proud, prosperous and free,’ echoing sentiments of the New Frontier theme. 

‘We are one people, one family and one glorious nation under God,’ Trump said. ‘So to every parent who dreams for their child and every child who dreams for their future, I am with you. I will fight for you and I will win for you. We are going to win like never before.’ 

Roberts said, ‘I think Trump put his finger on something that’s, right now, going to be an underappreciated part of his legacy, and that is a president of American innovation.’

‘In other words, making America great again is bringing American manufacturing and economic vitality back to a level where the innovation is so tremendous you can’t even comprehend as you sit here what it’s going to be.’

Roberts said such an invocation of the ‘real spirit of America’ in Trump’s speech indicated ‘bringing American manufacturing and economic vitality back’ during his second administration, which was a theme that Roberts said both Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy incorporated into their own inaugural addresses.