King Charles III acknowledged “times of great uncertainty” as he expressed gratitude to the American people and marked the 250th anniversary of independence from Britain in a speech to the U.S. Congress that highlighted the bonds between the two countries at a time of political turmoil.
“For all that time,” King Charles said, “our destinies have been interlinked.”
King Charles is only the second British monarch to address a joint session of Congress. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, delivered a similar speech in 1991 highlighting the historic ties between both countries and the importance of their democratic values.
Starmer speaks to Trump after criticism of U.K.’s response to Iran strikes
The King picked up on those themes during his remarks on Tuesday (April 28, 2026), which were delivered in a far different environment than when his mother spoke to the same chamber in the U.S. Capitol. President Donald Trump is in open conflict with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the war in Iran. Many of the lawmakers in the room were at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday (April 25), which was disrupted by a shooting that authorities have described as an attempted assassination against Mr. Trump.
