Prince Charles and Camilla arrive on US visit

The Prince of Wales sported a blue suit and the Duchess of Cornwall a beige-gray coat and dress by British designer Bruce Oldfield as they exited a plane bearing the American and British flags at Andrews Air Force Base, outside Washington.

Camilla's hair blowing in the wind, they were greeted by a US official before being whisked away for a reception at the opulent British embassy in the US capital.

Prince Charles and Camilla's visit comes three months after his son Prince William and his wife Kate made a glittering visit to the United States.

The couple's schedule includes a series of meetings to promote US-British work on issues including climate change, youth programs and business responsibility, the embassy said in a statement.

They are scheduled to tour Washington on Wednesday, including a visit to the Lincoln Memorial and a monument for late rights leader Martin Luther King.

They will then travel to Mount Vernon, home of the first US president George Washington, just outside the capital.

Prince Charles and Camilla will also visit the National Archives in downtown Washington, where the prince will mark the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta.

The prince, who is passionate about green issues, will speak to business and environmental leaders and politicians about the threat of plastic waste in the world's oceans. The duchess is slated to visit an aid center for rape victims.

The pair will meet Obama at the White House Thursday before traveling to Louisville, Kentucky to attend a cultural festival.