King Charles Delivers Historic Address to Congress, Trades Barbs with Trump at White House State Dinner

Washington DC:

King Charles III and Queen Camilla concluded the second day of their four-day US state visit on Tuesday with a White House state dinner hosted by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, following a historic joint address to Congress in which the British monarch advocated for international cooperation, NATO solidarity, and continued US support for Ukraine. The visit, arranged to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, unfolded against the backdrop of strained US-UK and US-Europe relations resulting from the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran and repeated criticism by President Trump of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The Address to Congress:

King Charles opened his remarks at 3:09 PM in the House chamber by thanking the American people for welcoming him “to mark this semi-quincentennial year of the Declaration of Independence,” receiving a standing ovation from assembled lawmakers and guests. He referenced the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, stating that violent acts of that nature “will never succeed.” He remembered his late mother Queen Elizabeth II and praised the NATO alliance, characterising the US role in the twentieth century as “playing a decisive role as a defender of freedom in Europe.”

The most consequential passage of the address, according to multiple observers, was the king’s explicit call for the United States to continue supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia. That passage prompted a bipartisan standing ovation from lawmakers in the chamber, a notable outcome given that a significant faction of Republican lawmakers has called for an end to US military aid to Ukraine. The speech was prepared with the advice of the British government, which sought to use the address to advance its strategic priorities with the United States, according to a pool report from Fox News.

Without directly referencing the Iran conflict, in which the UK has declined to participate militarily alongside the United States and Israel, Charles centered his broader remarks around the need for international cooperation and the strength of shared democratic values. He also cited Oscar Wilde: “We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language.”

Charles’s address made him only the second British monarch to speak before a joint session of Congress. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was the first, delivering a speech in 1991 in which she emphasized multilateral cooperation and praised the two nations’ joint participation in the Gulf War. There have been 132 addresses to Congress by foreign leaders in total; appearances by monarchs are considerably more rare than those by presidents and prime ministers.

The State Dinner and Exchange of Remarks:

The state dinner at the White House brought together British royals, US cabinet members, members of Congress, Fox News personalities, and business executives. At the South Portico, Trump told reporters that Charles had given a “great speech” and said he was “very jealous,” adding that the king had managed something he himself could not: getting Democrats to stand and applaud.

During the dinner toasts, King Charles referenced Trump’s prior remarks that if not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German. Charles inverted the historical framing, telling Trump: “Dare I say that, if it wasn’t for us, you’d be speaking French.” The remark referred to the colonial rivalry between Britain and France in North America, which preceded American independence. The comment drew laughter from the room and was widely circulated on social media after the dinner.

Charles also referenced Trump’s ongoing construction of a new East Wing ballroom at the White House, a project that has attracted public debate. “I cannot help noticing the readjustments to the East Wing, Mr. President,” he said, then added: “I’m sorry to say that we British, of course, made our own small attempt at real estate development of the White House in 1814” a reference to the burning of the White House by British troops during the War of 1812. He also invoked Queen Elizabeth II’s 1957 visit to Washington, during the Eisenhower administration, noting that one of her tasks had been “to help put the special back into our relationship after a crisis in the Middle East,” a remark that drew quiet laughter given the current diplomatic context. “Nearly 70 years on, it is hard to imagine anything like that happening today,” he said. He described the UK-US relationship as “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”

Gift Exchange:

Buckingham Palace released details of the official gift exchange between the two leaders. Trump presented King Charles with a custom facsimile of a letter written from John Adams to John Jay in 1785. King Charles presented Trump with a framed facsimile of the 1879 design plans for the Resolute Desk, the Oval Office desk crafted from the timbers of the British ship HMS Resolute and originally gifted to President Rutherford B. Hayes. Charles also presented Trump with the original bell from a British submarine, HMS Trump, launched from a UK shipyard in 1944. “Tonight, Mr. President, I am delighted to present to you as a personal gift, the original bell which hung on the conning tower of your valiant namesake,” Charles said. “And should you ever need to get hold of us, just give us a ring.”

Context Iran War and UK-US Tensions:

The visit takes place at a moment of notable strain in the transatlantic relationship. Trump has repeatedly criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the British government for not supporting the United States and Israel militarily in their conflict against Iran, which began on February 28 of this year following US-Israeli strikes on the country. Trump has on multiple occasions mocked Starmer publicly on this issue. Buckingham Palace officials indicated prior to the visit that the king’s speech was intended to reaffirm UK-US democratic values “despite these challenging times,” without directing comments at specific political disputes.

The visit also drew attention related to King Charles’s brother, Prince Andrew, who faces a UK police investigation into allegations of misconduct connected to the Jeffrey Epstein files. Buckingham Palace stated, following legal advice, that Charles would not be meeting with Epstein survivors during the trip, citing the risk of prejudicing ongoing British police investigations and potential future legal proceedings.

The royals contacted Trump and Melania Trump by telephone on Sunday to express their concerns following Saturday’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, according to a source familiar with the matter cited by NBC News. Charles acknowledged the shooting in his opening remarks to Congress on Tuesday.

Also Read / King Charles Expresses Deep Concern Following Prince Andrew’s Arrest in Epstein Probe.