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King Charles III called on the US to maintain its leadership role in the world, and to support Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in a remarkably pointed speech for a monarch that urged Americans to resist the pull of isolationism.<\/p>\n
Charles used his remarks to a joint session of Congress \u2014 the first such address by a British monarch in more than three decades \u2014 to argue for preserving the alliance between the UK and US. The king appealed to the shared heritage between the two nations, sprinkling his remarks with references to culture, religion and principles behind America\u2019s decision to declare independence 250 years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cI pray with all my heart that our alliance will continue to defend our shared values, with our partners in Europe and the Commonwealth, and across the world, and that we ignore the clarion calls to become ever more inward-looking,\u201d Charles told the assembled lawmakers, with Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson seated behind him.<\/p>\n
The relationship between the US and the UK has fallen to its lowest level in decades amid a messy public feud between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Trump has spent recent months criticizing and insulting Starmer \u2014 with whom he previously shared a warm relationship \u2014 before Starmer split with the president over the war in Iran and his threats about annexing Greenland.<\/p>\n
The speech on Capitol Hill came on the second day of Charles\u2019 four-day state visit, a trip that has thrust him into an unusually prominent diplomatic role. While his words were carefully measured, the king\u2019s message at several points \u2014 including on supporting NATO and Ukraine, as well as calls for environmental stewardship \u2014 could be read as an implicit critique of Trump administration policies.<\/p>\n
The king\u2019s remarks \u2014 during which he was repeatedly interrupted by applause \u2014 stressed the durability of a relationship that began with a revolution. \u201cWith the spirit of 1776 in our minds, we can perhaps agree that we do not always agree \u2014 at least in the first instance,\u201d Charles said.<\/p>\n
Trump, who has made little secret of his admiration of royalty in general and the British monarchy in particular, hosted Charles at a state banquet after the speech.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the centuries since we won our independence, Americans have had no closer friends than the British,\u201d Trump said. The president called Charles a \u201cblessing\u201d to the countries\u2019 relationship and predicted, \u201cI am very certain that it will continue that way long into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
The state dinner invitees also included a long list of heavy-hitters from the finance, business and tech sectors, including many individuals who supported Trump\u2019s 2024 election win or have sought a close relationship with him in his second term. Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, Apple Inc.\u2019s Tim Cook, Nvidia Corp.\u2019s Jensen Huang, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen and Blackstone Inc.\u2019s Steve Schwarzman were among names included on the White House\u2019s guest list.<\/p>\n
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The long-planned event is intended to mark the 250th anniversary of the US\u2019s independence from Britain, though its diplomatic mission has taken on new urgency amid Trump\u2019s recent feud with Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the UK\u2019s limited support for US military action against Iran. Photographer: Yuri Gripas\/Abaca\/Bloomberg
Charles earlier attended a greeting ceremony hosted by Trump on the South Lawn of the White House. Trump at times veered from his script to praise Charles, recalling how his Scottish-born mother watched the royal as a young man during televised ceremonies. \u201cMy mother had a crush on Charles,\u201d the president said.<\/p>\n
The king\u2019s remarks to Congress, however, were more pointed, coming amid growing international concern about the US\u2019s commitment to the post-war order it had helped build. Charles mentioned how the United Nations and NATO had come to America\u2019s defense in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and cited the UK\u2019s \u201cshoulder-to-shoulder\u201d cooperation with the US through two world wars.<\/p>\n
He argued that the partnership between Europe and America was \u201cmore important today than it has ever been,\u201d he said. He said that \u201cunyielding resolve is needed for the defense of Ukraine and her most courageous people \u2013 in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace,\u201d echoing his remarks to Trump in September.<\/p>\n
Even the king\u2019s references to history could be received by an American audience as veiled warnings, intentional or not.<\/p>\n
Charles cited the example of Britain\u2019s Magna Carta as giving the US inspiration on how executive authority should be subject to checks and balances. His comment came amid criticism that the Republican-held Senate and House have too widely deferred to Trump\u2019s sweeping expansion of executive power. Democratic leaders could be seen in the chamber standing and applauding the line.<\/p>\n
Similarly, his exhortation about the need for an independent judiciary stands in contrast to the president\u2019s frequent criticisms of judges and Supreme Court justices who rule against his own wishes.<\/p>\n
While Charles didn\u2019t refer to Iran specifically, he cited \u201ctimes of conflict from Europe to the Middle East,\u201d which he warned poses \u201cimmense challenges for the international community and whose impact is felt in communities the length and breadth of our own countries.\u201d Europe is currently grappling with an energy price shock as well as a looming jet fuel crisis that threatens summer air travel.<\/p>\n
Though Republicans at times displayed muted responses \u2014 to Charles\u2019 calls on the importance to protect the environment for example \u2014 there was overwhelming support for the king with several standing ovations throughout the speech.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI believe most members of Congress feel better after the speech than they did before. Though I will admit it was a bit odd that the unifying feeling had to come from the King of England,\u201d Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and close Trump ally, said in a social media post after the speech, \u201cbut so be it!,\u201d<\/p>\n
Shortly before Charles\u2019 arrival, the efforts to demonstrate stability suffered a blow when it was reported that the UK\u2019s ambassador to the US had played down the status of the relationship between the two countries. The ambassador, Christian Turner, said that the US\u2019s only special relationship was \u201cprobably Israel,\u201d the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing a recording of the remarks.<\/p>\n
The Foreign Office said Turner\u2019s statements weren\u2019t intended for public consumption and did not reflect the government\u2019s official position.<\/p>\n
Charles\u2019 speech to a joint meeting of Congress represents only the second time a British monarch has done so, following Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s address in 1991 in which she was greeted with a standing ovation from the American lawmakers assembled at the Capitol.<\/p>\n
Elizabeth in that speech referenced the Gulf War \u2014 though the UK government supported that US intervention, unlike the recent conflict in Iran where Britain opted out of aiding the initial strikes.<\/p>\n
Charles, who typically remains above day-to-day politics, has shown a greater willingness than his mother to wade into contentious waters. Last year, he traveled to Canada to declare the nation as sovereign and free in a speech to its parliament following Trump\u2019s taunts about making the country the \u201851st state.\u2019 It was the first such appearance since 1977.<\/p>\n
\u201cAmerica\u2019s words carry weight and meaning, as they have since Independence,\u201d Charles concluded in his speech to Congress on Tuesday. \u201cThe actions of this great nation matter even more.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a9 2026 Bloomberg<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
#King #Charles #urges #reject #isolationism<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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