British royals kick of US visit with a tour of country's memorials

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall have kicked off their United States visit with a tour of several US memorials, BBC reports.

The royal couple who arrived in Washington DC for their 3-day visit on Tuesday were given a guided tour of the Lincoln Memorial sculpture, pausing at the spot where Dr King gave his famous "I have a dream" speech in 1963.

They also visited the memorial of Martin Luther King Jr where theymet Rev Jesse Jackson and Congressman John Lewis, who helped organise the famous civil rights march in Selma, Alabama, in 1965 - portrayed in the recent movie Oscar-winning movie, Selma.

The prince and duchess were also given a tour of Mount Vernon, home of America's first president, George Washington while the duchess also paid a visit to Washington's Shakespeare Theatre Company.

The royal couple are also scheduled to visit the home city of boxer Muhammad Ali, who was born in Louisville, Kentucky.

The visit which is seen by analysts as a move to bolster Prince Charles' image as a king-in-waiting will see the couple join in commemorating several important milestones such as the 150th anniversaries of the end of the American Civil War, the death of President Lincoln and the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta.

The couple will meet President Barack Obama at the White House today, Thursday.