Charles calls for rededication to unity amid strain in U.S.-U.K. ties

WASHINGTON — King Charles III addressed a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, delivering a carefully worded speech that threaded two of his most deeply held causes — climate action and the defense of Europe — to a roomful of people deeply divided on both.

The king’s address to Congress, only the second in history by a British monarch, was intended to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence. But the timing of his remarks carried a subtle, diplomatic urgency as he spoke about the need to support European alliances at a time of “great uncertainty.”

“I pray with all my heart that our alliance will continue to defend our shared values, with our partners in Europe and the Commonwealth, and across the world, and that we ignore the clarion calls to become ever more inward-looking,” the king told the room.

Vice President JD Vance, left, and House Speaker Mike Johnson applaud as Britain’s King Charles III arrives to address a joint session of Congress in the House chamber on April 28, 2026.

(Henry Nicholls / Pool Photo / AFP/Getty Images)

He emphasized that “America’s words carry weight and meaning” and that the United States’ actions “matter even more,” remarks that drew affirmations from the crowd.

In prepared remarks, the king called on Republican leaders to support Ukraine and to maintain America’s commitment to NATO, which President Trump has repeatedly derided and threatened to leave.

“From the depths of the Atlantic to the disastrously melting ice caps of the Arctic, the commitment and expertise of the United States armed forces and its allies lie at the heart of NATO, pledged to each other’s defense, protecting our citizens and interests, keeping North Americans and Europeans safe from our common adversaries,” he said.

The king reminded Congress that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization came to the assistance of the United States in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and said the same “unyielding resolve” should be extended to Ukraine to be able to “secure a truly just and lasting peace.”

King Charles III, with Queen Camilla, acknowledges the applause after his address to a joint session of Congress on April 28, 2026. He is the second British monarch to give such an address.

(Win McNamee / Getty Images)

Vice President JD Vance, who was seated behind the king, stood up and applauded in response to the call to support Ukraine.

How those comments will play out in Washington remains to be seen. Trump seemed to take issue with remarks by Prince Harry that the United States should do more to help Ukraine, with the president telling a reporter that the king’s son “is not speaking for the U.K.”

The king did not directly address the tensions between Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the United States’ war with Iran. Trump has clashed with the British government over its refusal to commit its defense forces to the conflict and had mocked the Royal Navy’s battleships as “toys.”

While Trump’s criticism were not addressed directly, the king did speak about his pride in the British defense forces, especially the Royal Navy.

“I served with immense pride in the Royal Navy, following in the naval footsteps of my father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; my grandfather, King George VI; my great-uncle, Lord Mountbatten; and my great-grandfather, King George V,” he said.

The king also noted that conflicts in Europe and the Middle East “pose immense challenges for the international community,” and emphasized the need to work together.

“The challenges we face are too great for any one nation to bear alone,” he said.

The king, who has long advocated for the environment and conservation, made a case for doing more for the environment in the future.

“As we look toward the next 250 years, we must also reflect on our shared responsibility to safeguard nature, our most precious and irreplaceable asset,” he said, adding that climate action is key for “our prosperity and our national security.”

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump host Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla for afternoon tea at the White House on April 27, 2026, the first day of their state visit.

(Suzanne Plunkett / Pool / Getty Images)

Trump did not attend the speech due to security concerns, but he hosted the king and Queen Camilla at the White House earlier in the day. During a welcoming ceremony on the South Lawn, Trump emphasized his appreciation for the two nations’ “cherished bond” and shared histories.

“Americans have had no closer friends than the British,” Trump told those in attendance. “We share the same root. We speak the same language. We hold the same values. And together, our warriors have defended the same extraordinary civilization under twin banners of red, white and blue.”

The king made a nod to that sentiment when addressing Congress, calling the United States a “citadel of democracy created to represent the voice of all American people to advance sacred rights and freedoms.”

The king’s visit on Capitol Hill came amid heightened security concerns after a shooting Saturday at the White House Correspondents’ Assn. dinner attended by Trump, several members of his Cabinet and members of Congress. The alleged gunman, a California tutor, was targeting Trump administration officials, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest, authorities said.

“Let me say with unshakable resolve: Such acts of violence will never succeed,” 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 of those who daily risk their lives in the service of our countries.”

During the king’s visit, there was ample security at the Capitol complex. Law enforcement officers were seen on the rooftop of the Capitol building and patrolling the surrounding areas ahead of his arrival.

Queen Camila, King Charles III, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the White House during a state arrival ceremony on the South Lawn on April 28, 2026. President Trump and Charles III held a bilateral meeting, and the king later addressed a joint session of Congress.

(Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images)

Earlier in the day, the king joined Trump in the Oval Office for a closed-door bilateral meeting.

The president appeared to be enjoying the visit. He told the crowd at the White House that his late mother “loved” the royal family and watched their events on television. The president even joked his mother had a “crush” on the king when he was younger.

“I wonder what’s she’s thinking right now,” he said.

Trump also posted on his social media website that he planned to raise with the king and queen a report suggesting his family roots may be tied to the royal family, a prospect he appeared to find amusing.

“I’ve always wanted to live in Buckingham Palace!!!” the president said in the post.

The only precedent for an address by a British monarch was 35 years ago, when Queen Elizabeth II addressed a joint session of Congress in 1991. Her address came after the end of the Persian Gulf War.

But the Jeffrey Epstein scandal has cast a shadow over the king’s visit.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont), one of the most vocal lawmakers pushing for the release of the Epstein files, last month requested that the king privately meet with some of the women who were sexually abused by the convicted child sex offender.

In the request, Khanna noted that the Epstein scandal extended to Britain, where the king’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was linked to the alleged misconduct.

In February, the former Prince Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his links to Epstein, marking the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal was criminally apprehended.

The former British ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, is also under criminal investigation for allegedly sharing secret government information with Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019.

Khanna told reporters Tuesday that the king had been advised by lawyers to not meet with the survivors so as to not jeopardize those investigations. The California Democrat still held a public roundtable discussion Tuesday with numerous survivors, in a crammed room near the Capitol.

“You would expect this to be a moment for the king to give a message to the world that he stands with survivors,” said Sky Roberts, whose late sister, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, had accused the king’s brother of sexually abusing her multiple times when she was a teenager.

Although Charles did not mention the Epstein scandal in his remarks, he did say that both countries need to “support victims of some of the ills that, so tragically, exist in both our societies today.”

Times staff writer Ben Wieder in Washington contributed to this report.