King Charles III acknowledged “times of great uncertainty” as he expressed gratitude to the American folks and marked the 250th anniversary of independence from Britain in a speech to the U.S. Congress that highlighted the bonds between the 2 international locations at a time of political turmoil.
“For all that time,” Charles mentioned, “our destinies have been interlinked.”
Charles is barely the second British monarch to deal with a joint session of Congress. His mom, Queen Elizabeth II, delivered an identical speech in 1991 highlighting the historic ties between each international locations and the significance of their democratic values.
The king picked up on these themes throughout his remarks on Tuesday, which had been delivered in a far totally different atmosphere than when his mom spoke to the identical chamber within the U.S. Capitol. President Donald Trump is in open battle with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the conflict in Iran. Lots of the lawmakers within the room had been on the White Home Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, which was disrupted by a taking pictures that authorities have described as an tried assassination in opposition to Trump.
“Let me say with unshakeable resolve,” Charles mentioned. “Such acts of violence will never succeed.”
Even because the king targeted on widespread pursuits, there have been delicate nods at points which have divided the U.S. and the U.Okay., significantly in relation to international affairs. He mentioned the international locations “cannot rest on past achievements” because the Iran conflict checks their relationship. And he urged “unyielding resolve” in backing Ukraine in opposition to Russia, whereas heralding the NATO alliance that Trump has repeatedly undermined.
The king started his day on the White Home, the place he and Trump greeted one another warmly throughout a ceremony on the South Garden. Showing below grey, drizzly skies, Trump quipped that it was a “beautiful British day” earlier than shifting his focus to the shared historical past of the U.S. and U.Okay.
Making no point out of his dispute with Starmer, Trump drew a line from King John’s sealing of the Magna Carta in 1215 to the American Revolution.
“American patriots today can sing, ’My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty,’ only because our colonial ancestors first sang, ‘God save the King,’” Trump mentioned.
The 2 leaders huddled within the Oval Workplace for a gathering that was closed to the general public, lowering the potential for the freewheeling, typically controversial conferences with international officers which have change into routine throughout Trump’s second time period. Afterward, Trump mentioned it was a “really good meeting” and Charles is a “fantastic person.”
Trump’s relationship with Starmer has soured
Trump’s up-and-down relationship with Starmer has taken a very bitter flip over the previous a number of months because the Republican president has sought to rally worldwide help for the conflict in Iran. Trump criticized Starmer, who has largely resisted his overtures, by saying “this is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.”
Trump has additionally imposed tariffs on the U.Okay. and warned of further levies regardless of a Supreme Court docket ruling earlier this 12 months that has made such unilateral strikes tougher. Trump threatened simply final week to slap a “big tariff” on the U.Okay. if it doesn’t scrap a digital providers tax on U.S. expertise firms.
Trump has extra broadly challenged the normal trans-Atlantic alliance with efforts to annex Greenland and threats to stroll away from NATO. He has repeatedly imposed tariffs on and taunted Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth.
Home Democratic chief Hakeem Jeffries of New York blamed Republican insurance policies on Monday for straining the U.S.-U.Okay. relationship.
“Hopefully, the king’s visit is going to go a long way toward repairing the damage that this administration has done to one of our most important allies in the world,” Jeffries mentioned.
In the meantime, Charles has confronted some calls on Capitol Hill to satisfy with victims of Jeffrey Epstein whereas he’s within the U.S. There’s no indication that he’ll achieve this even because the scandal involving the convicted intercourse offender has ensnared his brother, who was arrested in February over misconduct allegations, which he denies.
Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who has been a frontrunner of the push on Capitol Hill for a reckoning over Epstein, mentioned he was informed by the British ambassador to the U.S. that there could be an acknowledgment of the survivors in the course of the congressional handle.
Charles and Camilla arrived on the nation’s capital on Monday and held a tea with the president and first woman Melania Trump. The royal couple will proceed their U.S. journey later this week with stops in New York Metropolis and Virginia.
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Related Press writers Stephen Groves in Washington and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report.
