In a rare address to the Houses of Congress to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, King Charles III reaffirmed the special relationship between Britain and America, grounded in shared values, history, and kinship.
After meeting with President of the United States Donald Trump and First Lady Melania at the White House, the King travelled on Tuesday to the Capitol, where he became the second British Monarch to address the American Congress, following in the footsteps of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who became the first to do so in 1991.
The King started by expressing his gratitude to the American people for hosting him and his wife, Queen Camilla, on the special occasion of the “Semiquincentennial” anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. He also comedically reassured the room that he did not travel to the U.S. as a part of a “cunning rear guard action”.
However, he noted that the address comes amid “great uncertainty”, noting the conflicts continuing to rage in Europe and the Middle East, as well as the recent attempted assassination against President Trump and cabinet officials at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner just days prior.
Apparently addressing the current frayed relations between Washington and London over the response to the Iran conflict from British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the King said: “Whatever our differences, whatever disagreements we may have, we stand united in our commitment to uphold democracy, to protect all our people from harm, and to salute the courage daily risk their lives in the service of our countries.”
Echoing remarks made by President Trump on the shared heritage of the two countries, the King said: “Standing here today, it is hard not to feel the weight of history on my shoulder, because the modern relationship between our two nations, and our own peoples, spans not merely 250 years, but over four centuries. It is extraordinary to think that I am the 19th in our line of sovereigns to study with daily attention the affairs of America.
“So I come here today with the highest respect for the United States Congress, this citadel of democracy, created to represent the voice of all American people to advance sacred rights and freedoms,” he said.
“Speaking in this renowned chamber of debate and deliberation, I cannot help but think of my late mother Elizabeth, who in 1991 was also afforded this single honour and similarly spoke under the watchful eye of the statue of freedom above us. Today I am here to express the highest regard and friendship of the British people to the people of the United States.”
Acknowledging that differences may arise, the King noted that such disagreements often unite, given that the unique histories of values in both countries rest on hashing out differences through the democratic process.
However, he noted that “time and again, our two countries have always found a way to come together, and by jove, Mr Speaker, when we have found that way to agree, what great changes brought about, not just for the benefit of our peoples, but of all peoples. This, I believe, is the special ingredient in our relationship.”
“As President Trump observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, ‘the bond of kinship and identity between America is priceless and eternal, it is irreplacable and unbreakable,” he added to a standing ovation from the Congress.
“The alliance that our two nations have built over the centuries, and for which we are profoundly grateful to the American people, is truly unique, and that alliance is what Henry Kissinger described as Kennedy’s ‘soaring vision’ of an Atlantic relationship based on twin pillars, Europe and America. That partnership, I believe, Mr Speaker, is more important today than it has ever been.”
“The challenges we face are too great for any one nation to bear alone. But in this unpredictable environment, our alliance cannot rest on past achievements, or assume that foundational principles simply endure,” the King continued.
“Ours is an indispensable partnership. We must not disregard everything that has sustained us for the last 80 years. Instead, we must build on it.”
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