U.S. Vice-President JD Vance, left, and House Speaker Mike Johnson applaud King Charles during his speech to Congress on Tuesday, the first delivered by a British sovereign since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991.HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP/Getty Images
King Charles III called for the United States to recommit itself to its historic alliance with Britain and other NATO countries – and not to become “more inward-looking” – as he sought to repair relations with U.S. President Donald Trump during a high-stakes state visit.
In an address to Congress on Tuesday afternoon, the King highlighted the value of alliances between democratic governments in the face of Mr. Trump’s repeated criticisms of Britain and Canada – two countries of which Charles is head of state – and threats to leave the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
“I 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,” he said.
Queen Camilla, King Charles, U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wave from a balcony during an arrival ceremony for the king and queen on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday.Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
In only the second speech to Congress by a British sovereign, after a 1991 address by his mother, Elizabeth II, Charles highlighted areas in which Britain was pulling its weight in NATO, such as increasing defence spending and pursuing the AUKUS partnership, which also includes Australia, to build submarines.
He also reminded his audience that the only-ever invocation of NATO’s collective self-defence provision was after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on New York and Washington.
“In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when NATO invoked Article Five for the first time, and the United Nations Security Council was united in the face of terror, we answered the call together – as our people have done so for more than a century, shoulder to shoulder, through two World Wars, the Cold War, Afghanistan and moments that have defined our shared security,” the King said.
The four-day U.S. visit by King Charles and Queen Camilla is ostensibly meant to mark the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, when the country threw off the rule of the King’s great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, George III. But it has turned into a critical mission to salvage the Western alliance.
King Charles leans in to speak to U.S. President Donald Trump during the marching of troops on the South Lawn of the White House on Tuesday morning.Julia Demaree Nikhinson/The Associated Press
Mr. Trump’s anger has mounted in recent weeks at British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for refusing to take part in the U.S. war on Iran. The President has also spent the past year pursuing a bruising trade war with Canada.
While the King did not mention Canada specifically in his speech, he broadened his message beyond the British-American bilateral relationship to advocate for the entire democratic alliance.
And even as the nominally apolitical constitutional monarch avoided any direct criticism of Mr. Trump, he did not shy away from themes that have become increasingly contentious in this era of U.S. politics.
Outlining the United States’ constitutional inheritance from Britain, he touted “the principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances” – earning a standing ovation for raising a topic that has been repeatedly litigated over the past year as Mr. Trump has launched military attacks, mass-deported immigrants and cut entire government departments without seeking congressional approval.
King Charles hoping to live up to late Queen’s example in state visit to U.S.
The King also called for “unyielding resolve” in the “defence of Ukraine,” referenced the “disastrously melting ice caps of the Arctic” and pushed for a “shared responsibility to safeguard nature.”
“We ignore at our peril the fact that these natural systems – in other words, nature’s own economy – provide the foundation for our prosperity and our national security,” he said.
Mr. Trump has denied the existence of climate change, rolled back environmental regulations and expressed skepticism over the value of continuing to help Ukraine fight off Russia’s invasion.
A man dressed in Revolutionary War-era garb listens to Charles' speech at the U.S. Capitol.ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images
Earlier in the day, the President and the King evinced a chummy rapport during a formal greeting at the White House. The pageantry included a 21-gun salute, trumpet fanfares, a review of troops on the South Lawn and a flyover by fighter jets.
Mr. Trump paid homage to both the “special relationship” between the two countries and to British imperialism.
“For nearly two centuries before the revolution, this land was settled and forged by men and women who bore in their souls the blood and noble spirit of the British here on a wild and untamed continent,” he said. “Their veins ran with Anglo-Saxon courage.”
The President also underlined the two countries’ history of military co-operation, including during the Second World War. “Together, our warriors have defended the same extraordinary civilization.”
Charles and Mr. Trump then held a private meeting before the King’s congressional address. The pair also attended a state dinner with administration officials, legislators and business leaders at the White House.
King Charles arrives in U.S. on mission to reset strained ties
There was briefly some doubt whether the King and Queen’s U.S. visit, which will include stops in New York and Virginia, would go ahead after an alleged assassination attempt on Mr. Trump this past weekend. But Charles opted to stick to the plans.
“Let me say with unshakeable resolve: Such acts of violence will never succeed,” he said in his congressional speech. “We stand united in our commitment to uphold democracy.”
Since Mr. Trump returned to office, Mr. Starmer has taken great pains to woo him, agreeing last year to a trade deal heavily tilted in the U.S.’s favour in order to avoid even higher tariffs. The British Prime Minister also hand-delivered Charles’s invitation of Mr. Trump to a state visit at Windsor Castle this past September.
But Mr. Trump soured on Mr. Starmer after he and other NATO leaders refused to get involved in the U.S. and Israeli war in Iran, which Mr. Trump is now struggling to find a way to end.
Last month, the President claimed Mr. Starmer “ruins relationships” and is “not Winston Churchill.” He also assailed the British government for hesitating on letting him use a “stupid island” – the Chagos Archipelago – it leases in the Indian Ocean to launch strikes on Iran.
So, the King is once again the man of the hour for handling the volatile Mr. Trump – in no small part because the President so appears to respect the pomp surrounding the British monarchy.
The White House leaned into this perception on Tuesday. Its official account posted a photograph of Mr. Trump and Charles captioned “TWO KINGS” and accompanied by an emoji of a crown.