In just 35 minutes, King Charles III achieved what few others can: He united a room that is often divided by political differences while advocating for diplomacy despite shaky alliances abroad.
The king delivered a joint speech to Congress on Tuesday afternoon, marking the first time the British monarch has addressed U.S. lawmakers since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, did the same in 1991. Speaking in a calm and even tone, Charles reminisced on the relationship between the two countries over the last 250 years since the United States declared its independence from Great Britain.
“But please rest assured,” he joked, “I am not here as some part of some cunning rearguard action.”
The chamber erupted in laughter — just one of many quips tucked into the king’s speech that spread smiles from one side of the chamber to the other.
The four-day visit to Washington, D.C., marks the first time the monarch has traveled to the nation’s capital since becoming king in 2022. Charles spoke fondly of the city, which he said “symbolizes a period in our shared history.”
“Or what Charles Dickens might have called ‘A Tale of Two Georges,’” the king said, eliciting laughter. “The first president, George Washington, and my five-times great-grandfather, King George III.”
The king’s trip marks the most high-profile political visit this year and it comes at a crucial time for the two allies, as relations have been strained due to the war in Iran. President Donald Trump has criticized the U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer for hesitating to offer military support, putting pressure on Charles to emphasize the countries’ decades-old alliance without intensifying any personal disputes.
The king kept tensions light while offering a message of hope and unity for the two nations — and in doing so, he set his address apart from the most recent joint speeches to Congress by Trump last year and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2024. Both those speeches featured protests from within the chamber in the form of written signs and jeers yelled out by attendees.
But for the king, he was welcomed with numerous standing ovations from both parties — a rarity for any speaker in Congress.
“The story of the United Kingdom and the United States is, at its heart, a story of reconciliation, renewal and remarkable partnership,” Charles said. “That partnership, I believe, Mr. Speaker, is more important today than it has ever been.”
King reflects on importance of faith
The king also reflected on his own Christian beliefs, arguing the U.S. tenet of freedom of religion is essential to the two countries’ relationship and partnership.
“It is why I believe with all my heart that the essence of our two nations is a generosity of spirit and a duty to foster compassion, to promote peace, to deepen mutual understanding, and to value all people, of all faiths and of none,” the king said. “Having devoted a large part of my life to interfaith relationships and greater understanding, it is that faith in the triumph of light over darkness, which I have found confirmed countless times through it.”
The mentions to faith and Christianity elicited standing ovations from both Republicans and Democrats, particularly as the king expressed his “profound respect” that only grows as “people of different faiths grow in their understanding of each other.”
Charles’ speech comes at ‘time of uncertainty’
Just days after an attempted assassination against Trump at a largely attended dinner in Washington, D.C., the king greeted congressional leaders just 3 miles away from the hotel where the attack happened.
Security was heightened during Charles’ visit, and the king responded to the incident as one that “sought to harm the leadership of your nation and to foment wider fear and discord.”
“Let me say with unshakable resolve: Such acts of violence will never succeed,” he said to roaring applause.
But the speech comes at a time of broader uncertainty worldwide as well, the king said. Charles specifically pointed to the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine, which the king said “pose immense challenges for the international community.”
While Trump has had his differences with the U.K. prime minister over military action in Iran, Charles urged lawmakers in Congress to remain in steadfast support of Ukraine — even as Trump has criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the last few years for his handling of the conflict.
Instead, Charles likened the ongoing war to the 9/11 attacks on U.S. soil in 2001 as a way to maintain unity against Russia’s invasion.
“That same, unyielding resolve is needed for the defense of Ukraine and her most courageous people — in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace,” Charles said.
But the king closed his speech with a clear message for his U.S. allies: “America’s words carry weight and meaning.”
“So to the United States of America on your 250th birthday,” he said in closing, “let our two countries rededicate ourselves to each other in the selfless service of our peoples and of all the peoples of the world. God bless the United States and God bless the United Kingdom.”