King Charles III Addresses U.S. Congress, Emphasizes Transatlantic Unity

A Historic Address to Congress

In a significant address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress, King Charles III highlighted the critical nature of transatlantic partnerships, referencing NATO's collective action following the September 11 attacks. He urged lawmakers to maintain solidarity in support of Ukraine, stating that the same determination shown after 9/11 is essential for defending Ukraine and achieving a just peace.

During his speech, which received multiple standing ovations from both parties, the King touched on themes that have sometimes created friction between Donald Trump and European allies, particularly Trump's past remarks about NATO. While royal tradition typically limits political commentary, the King's speech resonated with current government policies, reflecting sentiments expressed by Keir Starmer amid recent foreign policy tensions.

Charles also spoke of the 'times of great uncertainty' while reaffirming the strong ties between the U.S. and the U.K. as they approach the 250th anniversary of American independence, stating, 'Our destinies have been interlinked.' His address followed a recent shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, which authorities labeled an attempted assassination of the president. The King firmly declared, 'Such acts of violence will never succeed.'

Only the second British monarch to address Congress, following Queen Elizabeth II's remarks in 1991, Charles met with congressional leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, prior to his speech. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle displayed a rare moment of bipartisanship as they greeted each other ahead of the address.

Additionally, Representative Ro Khanna mentioned that the British ambassador indicated the King might acknowledge the victims of Jeffrey Epstein during his speech, which would mark a shift from Buckingham Palace's usual stance. Khanna expressed his expectation for the King to recognize the Epstein survivors in his address, which was also anticipated to convey solidarity following the recent attack at the correspondents' dinner.