King Charles III of the United Kingdom acknowledged Tuesday that his country and the United States have had plenty of disagreements over the past 250 years, but told a joint meeting of Congress that “for all of that time, our destinies as nations have been interlinked.”
“We meet in times of great uncertainty; in times of conflict from Europe to the Middle East which pose immense challenges for the international community and whose impact is felt in communities the length and breadth of our own countries,” the king said.
But he noted that over the past 250 years, the U.S. and U.K. have shared a common heritage that binds them as allies, quoting the famous British author Oscar Wilde.
“As Oscar Wilde said, ’We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language!” the king joked.
It is only the second time a British monarch has ever addressed Congress, following his mother Queen Elizabeth II in 1991. The king spoke to members of the House and Senate amid strained tensions between the U.S. and the U.K., including disagreements over the Iran war.
The war has soured the relationship between President Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Mr. Trump has repeatedly criticized and even mocked Mr. Starmer for his refusal to join the war in Iran.
But Charles said previous differences between the two countries have been followed by “reconciliation and renewal,” producing what he called “one of the greatest alliances in human history.”
The king’s address to Congress is the most consequential moment of his four-day state visit to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The king only talked about the tense relationship between the U.S. and U.K. in broad terms because he plays a ceremonial role and does not wade into politics. But officials in the U.K. are hopeful that his speech will help smooth over tensions between Mr. Trump and Mr. Starmer.
Mr. Trump has said repeatedly that he is a big fan of Charles and the royal family.
