King Charles told a joint meeting of the US Congress that, despite global uncertainty and recent tensions, Britain and the United States remain steadfast partners committed to defending democracy. He delivered the rare address alongside Queen Camilla after a prolonged standing ovation, stressing shared resolve even as the two countries face divisions over the war involving Iran.
Ahead of the speech, Buckingham Palace said the remarks would not be political. Still, Charles touched on matters tied to current US debates: he referenced criticism of NATO, urged continued American support for Ukraine against Russia, warned against inward-looking policies, and reiterated his long-standing concern for protecting nature.
He recalled the allied response to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and the many times the nations have stood together—from the world wars to the Cold War and Afghanistan—saying that same determination is needed now to defend Ukraine and its people. The king, who speaks on the advice of the UK government as monarch, was only the second British sovereign to address Congress; his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, spoke to both houses in 1991.
The visit took place amid strained relations over US-Israeli actions linked to Iran and repeated public criticism by President Donald Trump of British leaders and NATO. At a White House state banquet later the same day, Trump said Charles opposed Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon and suggested the two agreed on US actions in the region; the king did not publicly respond to those comments. Downing Street and Buckingham Palace did not immediately comment on the president’s dinner remarks.
Charles’s appeal for unity and multilateral cooperation included a plea to resist the ‘‘clarion calls’’ to become more inward-looking—words that appeared to contrast with ‘‘America First’’ rhetoric. His call to safeguard nature, a personal priority, received more muted applause from some Republican lawmakers who are skeptical on climate matters.
Beyond Congress, the king met US technology leaders to discuss challenges facing early-stage startups as the UK seeks to attract tech investment. Attendees included Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, AMD’s Lisa Su, Salesforce’s Marc Benioff and Alphabet president Ruth Porat.
The four-day state visit has been marked by diplomatic friction after Trump publicly criticized Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for what he described as insufficient UK support on Iran-related matters. The White House posted a photo of Trump and Charles with the caption “TWO KINGS,” as administration allies pushed back against “No Kings” protests aimed at Trump.
Tensions extended to other exchanges: an internal Pentagon email suggested Washington might review its support for Britain’s claim to the Falkland Islands amid the broader dispute.
Charles sought to avoid entanglement with the Jeffrey Epstein scandal during the trip. His brother, Prince Andrew, remains subject to police inquiries over past associations with the late US sex offender; Andrew has denied wrongdoing. Royal sources said the king and queen did not meet Epstein survivors during the tour to avoid affecting potential criminal cases. Representative Ro Khanna, who organized a roundtable with survivors and helped draft the Epstein Files Transparency Act, said he had invited the king to meet survivors and that the invitation was declined, a decision Khanna criticized given allegations involving the king’s brother.
