WASHINGTON - An extraordinary scene: a British monarch enters the US Congress to rescue an alliance that the US president himself has swayed. King Charles III on Tuesday afternoon became only the second British monarch in history to speak before a combined session of both houses of the U.S. Congress - after his mother, Elizabeth II, did the same in 1991. The occasion is the celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence. But the atmosphere far surpasses the protocol ceremony.
The King's four-day state trip to the USA takes place in a turbulent diplomatic environment. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are at odds over their approach to the US war with Iran - Starmer has refused to involve Britain in the conflict and Trump has publicly insulted the British prime minister for doing so in recent weeks.
On top of that, Trump threatened high tariffs on British goods unless London abolished the digital services tax on US tech giants and mocked the Royal Navy. Either way - Charles has arrived.
On Monday, April 27, the royal couple arrived at Joint Base Andrews, where they headed to the White House. A grand welcoming ceremony was held on the South Lawn with an artillery salute. Trump, upon arrival, spoke of „special relationship“ between the two countries and recalled Winston Churchill's historic meeting with Franklin Roosevelt aboard the Prince of Wales - a title Charles carried longer than anyone else in history. „That understanding of the unique bond between our peoples is the essence of our special relationship,“ Trump said. „And I hope that will always be the case.“
Trump added to Karl's speech to Congress that he would like to come as a spectator, but protocol forbids him to do so: „I thought about going, but they said, ‚That might be going too far.‘
On Tuesday morning, Charles and Trump met in the Oval Office while Queen Camilla attended an educational program with First Lady Melania Trump. In the afternoon, Charles headed to Capitol Hill, where he met with House Speaker Mike Johnson and other congressional leaders, then delivered a keynote speech.
The speech was temperate but not without edge. Charles said that although the US and Britain did not always agree on everything, their shared democratic, legal and social traditions go back to Magna Carta: „Time and time again, our two countries have always found a way to come together.“
He recalled that the defence, intelligence and security alliances of both countries „is measured not in years but in decades,“ and stressed the importance of trade and technology agreements for future partnerships.
Referring to his faith, he expressed his belief that in the hearts of both nations lay „generosity of spirit and the duty to cultivate compassion, promote peace and value people of all faiths“.
Speaking ahead of the speech, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said: „I hope the king's visit will go a long way to repairing the damage this administration has done to one of our most important allies in the world.“
Casting a shadow over the entire visit was Saturday's assassination of Trump at a Washington news dinner - security measures in the US capital have been unprecedented since then, with the state hosting both the king's security detail and increased protection for the president in parallel. Charles commented briefly on the attack in his speech, offering „the highest respect and friendship of the British people for the American people“. The visit will continue with trips to New York and Virginia.
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