Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla began a week-long visit to the United States Tuesday with a stop in New York City.

Upon their arrival at the city, the couple visited ground zero, where they walked around to greet some of the well-wishers and onlookers who gathered behind barricades.

Then they went to nearby square to unveil a memorial park to the 67 Britons who died when the hijacked jets slammed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center.

Later Tuesday, Charles and Camellia were expected to meet UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and attend a reception at the Museum of Modern Art.

The tour is the first official overseas trip for the 56-year- old heir to the throne and his wife since their marriage in April. Charles last visited the United States in 1994.

Other stops in the country include a White House dinner with US President George W. Bush and meetings with hurricane victims in New Orleans and homeless people in San Francisco.

According to the prince's office, the trip is intended to recognize "the importance of the relationship between the two countries and their common bonds and shared traditions." It is also intended to promote Charles's environmentalist cause.

Source: Xinhua