Updated April 28, 2026 at 11:54 PM EDT
In an address before a joint meeting of Congress, King Charles III sought to highlight the importance of the transatlantic relationship between the United States and Great Britain at a moment when tensions between President Trump and leaders in Europe have frayed longstanding ties.
"The challenges we face are too great for any one nation to bear alone. In this unpredictable environment, our alliance cannot rest on past achievements or assume that foundational principles simply endure," he said.
"As my prime minister said last month, ours is an indispensable partnership. We must not disregard everything that has sustained us for the last 80 years. Instead, we must build on it."
Over the course of his roughly 25-minute address, Charles appeared to indirectly counter President Trump's frequent criticism of the NATO alliance, calling on the U.S. to maintain and strengthen its partnership with the U.K. and other European allies rather than retreat from them. At one point, the king reminded the gathered lawmakers that in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, NATO invoked its mutual defense clause for the first time in its history in support of the U.S.
"We answered the call together, as our people have done so for more than a century," he said.
Tuesday's address was delivered as part of a state visit by King Charles and Queen Camilla tied to the ongoing celebration of the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence from Great Britain. The king spoke to Congress shortly after a private meeting with President Trump at the White House.
His visit comes during a tense geopolitical moment. The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has put additional strain on Trump's already turbulent relationship with European leaders, who have declined to participate more fully in the conflict alongside the U.S. and Israel.
Without directly referencing Iran, King Charles centered his remarks around the broad need for international cooperation. And he went on to explicitly advocate for the U.S. to continue supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia — remarks that garnered a bipartisan standing ovation, despite calls from many Republicans to stop supplying military aid.
The king's speech comes nearly 35 years after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, addressed Congress in 1991, where she stressed the importance of democracy, international cooperation, and multilateral organizations like the United Nations and NATO, and also praised the two countries' cooperation in the Gulf War.
The circumstances of this visit are far from that: Trump regularly blasts allies, as well as NATO, emphasizing how much relations have shifted in recent years.
Trump's affinity for the royals despite political tensions
The president has made no secret of his longtime admiration for the royal family and his excitement for the King's visit.
In recent weeks, Trump has brought up the visit multiple times, referring to the king as "a great gentleman," "tough," "a great guy," "a nice guy" and "a friend of mine."
After a welcome ceremony upon the British monarch's arrival at the White House on Tuesday morning, Trump acknowledged the foundational history between the U.S. and the nation from which it declared its independence.
"Before Americans had a nation or a constitution, we first had a culture, a character and a creed," Trump said. "Before we ever proclaimed our independence, Americans carried within us the rarest of gifts — moral courage — and it came from a small but mighty kingdom from across the sea."
King Charles and Queen Camilla's trip follows the shooting Saturday at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, where Trump was attending. The incident sparked a last-minute security review, but the trip's itinerary appears unaffected.
The king made a point to acknowledge the recent incident at the start of his remarks to Congress, saying that "such acts of violence will never succeed."
However, political tension over the Iran war hangs over the proceedings. On multiple occasions, Trump has criticized the U.K. for not joining the U.S. and Israel in their war in Iran, at various points mocking and insulting Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not assisting the U.S. militarily.
"When we asked them for help, they were not there. When we needed them, they were not there. When we didn't need them, they were not there. And they still aren't there," he told Sky News this month.
While the U.K. has allowed the U.S. to use bases in its country in the Iran conflict, Starmer has insisted "this is not our war," and also added earlier this month that he's "fed up" with the war's impacts on his country.
Iran isn't the only topic that has caused friction. Trump railed against the U.K.'s plan to cede to Mauritius the Chagos Islands, one of which is home to a U.S. air base. Discussing that island with reporters, Trump said of Starmer, "This is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with." He also has repeatedly pushed the U.K. to allow new oil and gas drilling licenses in the North Sea.
Last week, the president threatened a new tariff on U.K. goods in response to a digital services tax that the U.K. has imposed on tech companies.
"If they don't drop the tax, we'll probably put a big tariff on the U.K.," he said.
None of this means that Trump and the monarchs will be debating policy in D.C. this week; the king and queen are required to remain politically neutral.
However, the monarchy is considered a tool of the U.K.'s soft power, and Trump may be particularly receptive to that soft power.
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