Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images News / Getty Images
King Charles III made history on Tuesday (April 28) by becoming only the second British monarch to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress, delivering a speech that celebrated the 250-year bond between the United Kingdom and the United States while gently urging the two allies to stand firm on shared democratic values.
The king drew a standing ovation and a warm, bipartisan reception, a rare sight in today's deeply divided Congress. Members from both parties laughed at his jokes, cheered his remarks, and rose to their feet multiple times, including when he called for continued support of Ukraine against Russia's aggression.
Charles opened his remarks by acknowledging the "times of great uncertainty" facing both nations, then struck a tone of unity and resolve. "For all that time, our destinies have been interlinked," he told lawmakers gathered in the House chamber.
Charles recalled his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who addressed Congress in 1991, the only other time a reigning British monarch has done so. "Speaking in this renowned chamber of debate and deliberation, I cannot help but think of my late mother, Queen Elizabeth, who, in 1991, was also afforded this signal honor," he said.
He referenced Saturday's shooting near the White House Correspondents' Dinner, calling it an act that "sought to harm the leadership of your nation and to foment wider fear and discord." He added: "Let me say with unshakeable resolve: such acts of violence will never succeed."
The king also used humor to warm up the room, quoting Oscar Wilde.
"We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language!" he joked before humorously noting that America's 250th anniversary was, as they say in the United Kingdom, "just the other day."
That line drew the loudest laugh of the evening.
On substance, Charles praised NATO, noting it was first invoked after the September 11 attacks, and urged "unyielding resolve" in defending Ukraine. Both moments drew wide applause.
He also addressed environmental conservation, calling the collapse of natural systems a matter of "national security" and a "shared responsibility."
Charles also quoted Trump directly, citing the president's own words from a state visit to Britain last autumn: "The bond of kinship and identity between America and the United Kingdom is priceless and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable."
The day began at the White House, where Trump and First Lady Melania Trump welcomed Charles and Queen Camilla with a traditional military arrival ceremony on the South Lawn. Under gray, drizzly skies, Trump quipped it was a "beautiful British day." The two leaders later met privately in the Oval Office. Afterward, Trump called it a "really good meeting" and praised Charles as a "fantastic person."
Charles concluded his address on a note of renewal: "Let our two countries rededicate ourselves to each other in the selfless service of our peoples and of all the peoples of the world. God bless the United States and the United Kingdom."
The visit comes during a notably tense stretch in U.S.-U.K. relations. CNN reports that Trump has repeatedly criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for refusing to offer substantial military help in the war with Iran, at one point comparing him unfavorably to Neville Chamberlain. Trump has also imposed tariffs on the U.K. and threatened more if Britain does not drop a digital services tax on U.S. technology companies.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said he hoped the royal visit would help repair the damage. "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.
Charles and Camilla will continue their U.S. visit later this week with stops in New York City and Virginia before returning to the United Kingdom.