King Charles Hails ‘Eternal’ Alliance with America in Address to Congress
In a rare speech to Congress to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, King Charles III reaffirmed the special relationship between Britain and America, based on shared values, history and kinship.
After meeting United States President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania at the White House, the King visited the Capitol on Tuesday, where he became the second British monarch to address the US Congress, following in the footsteps of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who became the first to do so in 1991.
The king began by expressing his gratitude to the American people for welcoming him and his wife, Queen Camilla, on the special occasion of the “half-centennial” of the Declaration of Independence. He also comically reassured the room that he had not traveled to the United States as part of a “cunning rearguard action.”
However, he noted that the speech comes against a backdrop of “great uncertainty,” highlighting the conflicts that continue to rage in Europe and the Middle East, as well as the recent assassination attempt on President Trump and Cabinet officials at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner a few days earlier.
Apparently addressing the currently strained relations between Washington and London over British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s response to the Iran conflict, the king said: “Whatever our differences, whatever our disagreements, we remain united in our commitment to defend democracy, to protect all our people from harm and to salute the courage to risk their lives daily in the service of our countries.” »
Echoing remarks made by President Trump about the two countries’ shared heritage, the king said: “Standing here today, it is hard not to feel the weight of history on my shoulder, as the modern relationship between our two nations and our own peoples spans not only 250 years, but 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 utmost respect for the United States Congress, this citadel of democracy, created to represent the voice of all the American people to advance sacred rights and freedoms,” he said.
“As I speak in this famous chamber of debate and deliberation, I cannot help but think of my late mother Elizabeth, who in 1991 also received this unique honor and who also spoke under the watchful eye of the Statue of Liberty above us. Today I am here to express the highest esteem 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 coalesce, given that the unique history of values in both countries relies on resolving differences through the democratic process.
However, he noted that “time and again, our two countries have always found a way to come together, and fortunately, Mr. President, when we found that way to agree, what great changes have been made, not only for the benefit of our people, but for all people. That, I believe, is the special ingredient of our relationship.”
“As President Trump observed during his state visit to Britain last fall, ‘America’s bond of kinship and identity is priceless and eternal, it is irreplaceable and unbreakable,'” he added to a standing ovation from Congress.
“The alliance that our two nations have built over the centuries, and for which we are deeply grateful to the American people, is truly unique, and this alliance is what Henry Kissinger described as Kennedy’s “ambitious vision” of an Atlantic relationship based on two pillars, Europe and America. This partnership, I believe, Mr. President, is more important today than it has ever been.”
“The challenges we face are too great for any one nation to tackle alone. But in this unpredictable environment, our alliance cannot build on past achievements, nor assume that fundamental principles endure,” the king continued.
“Our partnership is indispensable. We must not neglect everything that has sustained us over the past 80 years. Instead, we must build on that.”
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