The King’s Speech
The Washington Post, 28 April 2026
Britain’s King Charles III is applauded by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance (left) and U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson as the king arrives to address a joint session of Congress in Washington on April 28.Henry Nicholls/Getty Images
Britain’s King Charles III gave a historic address to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress on Tuesday that included several pointed messages aimed directly at U.S. President Donald Trump. “America’s words carry weight and meaning, as they have since independence,” Charles told U.S. lawmakers. “The actions of this great nation matter even more.”
Although the speech was broadly about celebrating the long-standing ties between the United States and the United Kingdom, Charles carefully laced it with subtle yet unmistakable critiques of Trump and some of his administration’s most contentious policies by highlighting such shared values as diversity, interfaith understanding, checks on executive power, commitments to allies, and the defense of vulnerable nations such as Ukraine.
Charles could have taken the safer path and avoided making comments that might spark the Trump administration’s ire; as a symbolic figurehead, the king is usually kept separate from political squabbles. However, Charles pulled no punches.
After opening with a quote by the Irish poet Oscar Wilde, who was famously imprisoned for homosexual acts, Charles went on to proclaim that “it is the very fact of our vibrant, diverse, and free societies that gives us our collective strength”—a message fundamentally at odds with the Trump administration’s attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. He stressed the need for increased defense spending, arguing that “unyielding resolve is needed for the defense of Ukraine and her most courageous people” at a time when Washington has been hesitant to provide Kyiv with more aid. And he lamented the “disastrously melting ice caps of the Arctic,” in contrast to the White House’s false claims that climate change is a hoax.
The king also praised the importance of multilateral institutions, including NATO and AUKUS, as well as other joint U.S.-British defense programs—despite Trump’s growing animosity toward such bodies. He championed an “independent judiciary” for resolving disputes on the same day that the White House began pursuing new import tariffs to circumvent a Supreme Court ruling. And he urged Washington to avoid becoming “ever more inward-looking,” in direct opposition to Trump’s “America First” approach.
His speech was met with strong cheers from the audience, including Republicans—which is particularly notable given some of its messages as well as how strongly the president has recently criticized Britain’s political leaders.
The White House has become increasingly frustrated in recent weeks with London’s hesitance to aid U.S. forces in the Iran war. “He ruins relationships,” U.S. President Donald Trump said of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer last month. “This is not Winston Churchill that we’re dealing with.” The U.S. president has called Starmer a coward for his unwillingness to enter the conflict, belittled the British Royal Navy by characterizing its aircraft carriers as “toys,” and threatened to review U.S. support for Britain’s claim to the disputed Falkland Islands as punishment for its alleged disloyalty as a NATO member.
Charles was the second British monarch and 11th king or queen in history to address a joint session of Congress; the first British royal to do so was Queen Elizabeth II in 1991. According to Buckingham Palace, the official purpose of Charles’s four-day state visit was to “recognize the shared history of our two nations” just a few months before the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary of independence.
Following his Tuesday address to Congress, the king returned to the White House for a state dinner before departing on Wednesday for New York City to continue his U.S. tour. Charles will conclude his visit in Virginia on Thursday with a stop at Arlington National Cemetery.
Rachel Oswald contributed to this report.