WASHINGTON — King Charles III addressed the U.S. Congress, acknowledging “times of great uncertainty” while expressing gratitude to the American people. His speech commemorated the 250th anniversary of America’s independence from Britain, highlighting the enduring relationship between the two nations amidst current political challenges.
“For all that time,” Charles remarked, “our destinies have been interlinked.”
Charles is only the second British monarch to speak before a joint session of Congress, following Queen Elizabeth II’s address in 1991. Her speech emphasized the historical ties and shared democratic values between the countries.
In his address, Charles revisited these themes, but in a vastly different context compared to his mother’s era. Currently, President Donald Trump is clashing with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the conflict in Iran. The audience included lawmakers who had recently attended the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which was marred by a shooting described by authorities as an attempted assassination of Trump.
Charles firmly stated, “Let me say with unshakeable resolve, such acts of violence will never succeed.”
While emphasizing shared interests, Charles subtly acknowledged the tensions between the U.S. and the U.K., particularly in international matters. He noted that the nations “cannot rest on past achievements” as they navigate the complexities of the Iran conflict. Additionally, he called for “unyielding resolve” in supporting Ukraine against Russia and praised the NATO alliance, which Trump has frequently criticized.
The king began his day at the White House, where he and Trump greeted each other warmly during a ceremony on the South Lawn. Appearing under gray, drizzly skies, Trump quipped that it was a “beautiful British day” before shifting his focus to the shared history of the U.S. and U.K.
Making no mention of his dispute with Starmer, Trump drew a line from King John’s sealing of the Magna Carta in 1215 to the American Revolution.
“American patriots today can sing, ‘My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty,’ only because our colonial ancestors first sang, ‘God save the King,’” Trump said.
The two leaders huddled in the Oval Office for a meeting that was closed to the public, reducing the potential for the freewheeling, sometimes controversial meetings with foreign officials that have become routine during Trump’s second term. Afterward, Trump said it was a “really good meeting” and Charles is a “fantastic person.”
Trump’s relationship with Starmer has soured
Trump’s up-and-down relationship with Starmer has taken a particularly sour turn over the past several months as the Republican president has sought to rally international support for the war in Iran. Trump criticized Starmer, who has largely resisted his overtures, by saying “this is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”
Trump has also imposed tariffs on the U.K. and warned of additional levies despite a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that has made such unilateral moves more challenging. Trump threatened just last week to slap a “big tariff” on the U.K. if it doesn’t scrap a digital services tax on U.S. technology companies.
Trump has more broadly challenged the traditional trans-Atlantic alliance with efforts to annex Greenland and threats to walk away from NATO. He has repeatedly imposed tariffs on and taunted Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York blamed Republican policies on Monday for straining the U.S.-U.K. relationship.
“Hopefully, the king’s visit is going to go a long way toward repairing the damage that this administration has done to one of our most important allies in the world,” Jeffries said.
Meanwhile, Charles has faced some calls on Capitol Hill to meet with victims of Jeffrey Epstein while he is in the U.S. He didn’t make a direct mention of the convicted sex offender, but did reference the “collective strength” in the U.S. and the U.K. to “support victims of some of the ills that, so tragically, exist in both our societies today.”
It was unclear if the carefully-worded remarks were meant to be an oblique acknowledgement of sexual abuse victims in the wake of the Epstein scandal. U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna had said ahead of the speech he was told by the British ambassador that that the king would speak to Epstein in his remarks before Congress.
Charles and Camilla arrived at the nation’s capital on Monday and held a tea with the president and first lady Melania Trump. The royal couple will continue their U.S. trip later this week with stops in New York City and Virginia.
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Associated Press writers Stephen Groves in Washington and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.
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