King Charles tells Congress that alliance is "more important today" than ever

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Washington — Saying helium felt the "weight of history" connected his shoulders, King Charles became the archetypal British monarch successful 35 years to code Congress connected Tuesday, wherever helium urged lawmakers to rededicate their committedness to the transatlantic U.S.-U.K. confederation and defy "clarion calls to go ever much inward-looking."

"America's words transportation value and meaning, arsenic they person since independence. The actions of this large federation substance adjacent more. President Lincoln understood this truthful well, with his reflection successful the magisterial Gettysburg Address that the satellite whitethorn small enactment what we say, but volition ne'er hide what we do," the king told a packed House enclosure connected the 2nd time of his state sojourn to the U.S. "And so, to the United States of America, connected your 250th birthday, fto our 2 countries rededicate ourselves to each different successful the selfless work of our peoples and of each the peoples of the world."

This week's visit from the king and Queen Camilla comes arsenic the narration betwixt President Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been strained implicit the warfare successful Iran and different issues. In his astir 30-minute speech, Charles highlighted the centuries-long narration betwixt the U.S. and U.K.

"The modern narration betwixt our 2 nations and our ain peoples spans not simply 250 years, but implicit 4 centuries. It is bonzer to deliberation that I americium the nineteenth successful our enactment of sovereigns to study, with regular attention, the affairs of America," helium said. "So I travel present contiguous with the highest respect for the United States Congress, this citadel of ideology created to correspond the dependable of each American radical to beforehand ineffable rights and freedoms."

King Charles III addresses a associated gathering of Congress astatine the U.S. Capitol successful Washington, D.C., connected April 28, 2026.

The king noted that the code came "in times of large uncertainty, successful times of struggle from Europe to the Middle East which airs immense challenges for the planetary assemblage and whose interaction is felt successful communities the magnitude and breadth of our ain countries."

Charles said that the 2 nations "do not ever agree" but his remarks mostly focused connected their partnership, referring to it arsenic "one of the astir consequential alliances successful quality history."

"Our 2 countries person ever recovered ways to travel together," helium said, calling the U.S.-U.K. confederation "truly unique." "That concern … is much important contiguous than it has ever been."

"The communicative of the United Kingdom and the United States is, astatine its heart, a communicative of reconciliation, renewal and singular partnership," helium added.

He said that "the challenges we look are excessively large for immoderate 1 federation to carnivore alone."

"But successful this unpredictable environment, our confederation cannot remainder connected past achievements, oregon presume that foundational principles simply endure," helium continued. "As my premier curate said past month: 'Ours is an indispensable partnership. We indispensable not disregard everything that has sustained america for the past eighty years. Instead, we indispensable physique connected it.'"

The king concisely mentioned Saturday's White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting, wherever the president and immoderate members of Congress were present, declaring that "such acts of unit volition ne'er succeed." The enactment was 1 of respective that received a lasting ovation from lawmakers.

"Whatever our differences, immoderate disagreements we whitethorn have, we basal agreed successful our committedness to uphold democracy, to support each our radical from harm, and to salute the courageousness of those who regular hazard their lives successful the work of our countries," helium said of Saturday's incident.

The king referenced NATO, an confederation Mr. Trump has threatened to leave, saying "our defense, quality and information ties are hardwired unneurotic done relationships measured not successful years, but successful decades." He besides mentioned respective ways successful which the nations person partnered connected defense, including gathering F-35s and a submarine concern betwixt the U.S., U.K. and Australia.

"We bash not embark connected these singular endeavors unneurotic retired of sentiment. We bash truthful due to the fact that they physique greater shared resilience for the future, truthful making our citizens safer for generations to come," helium said.

He said the aforesaid "unyielding resolve" that the U.S. and U.K. showed successful World War II, the Cold War and aft 9/11 "is needed for the defence of Ukraine and her astir courageous people, successful bid to unafraid a genuinely conscionable and lasting peace," a enactment that got a bipartisan lasting ovation from those successful the chamber.

It was the 2nd clip ever that a British monarch has addressed Congress. Queen Elizabeth II, Charles' mother, was the archetypal successful 1991, which Charles noted.

"Speaking successful this renowned enclosure of statement and deliberation, I cannot assistance but deliberation of my precocious mother, Queen Elizabeth, who, successful 1991, was besides afforded this awesome grant and likewise spoke nether the watchful oculus of the statue of state supra us," helium said.

Before addressing lawmakers, the king met with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Mr. Trump and archetypal woman Melania Trump welcomed the king and queen to the White House earlier Tuesday with a ceremonial accomplishment ceremony. Mr. Trump referenced the "special relationship" betwixt the U.S. and the United Kingdom, saying "we anticipation it volition ever stay that way."