This piece includes satire.
King Charles III of the United Kingdom is set to address a joint meeting of Congress on April 28. Ahead of the address, members of Congress told The Daily Signal they were unaware or did not know why the King would come address Congress 250 years after America ran the monarchy out of town.
The King’s visit will be the first time a British royal addresses Congress since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, delivered an address to Congress in 1991.
In response to Punchbowl News scooping the King’s speech, Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., told The Daily Signal that he had “no idea” Charles was scheduled to visit until The Daily Signal asked. “I didn’t even know he’s coming. I don’t know what he could talk about.”
Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., told The Daily Signal he thought the visit was “interesting,” given how rarely British monarchs address Congress. The King “could talk about the relationship between England and America,” Van Drew said with an indifferent shrug.
When asked by The Daily Signal whether the King should discuss other conflicts, like the wars in Iran and Ukraine, Van Drew said, “I think he should, I don’t know if he will or not, but I think he should.”
The sentiment is bipartisan. Ranking Member of the Committee on Veterans Affairs Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., told The Daily Signal that he “honestly doesn’t know” what the British monarch could possibly speak about during his Joint Address.
Another Republican member of the House told The Daily Signal they are not very invested in what the King will have to say.
“I’m just a commoner, I’m not royalty,” the Republican House member said. “That’s why I’m in the house and not the senate.”
“I think there’s value and traditions and all those things, and I think that if we ignore those, it could be bad,” the member added.
On Wednesday, congressional leaders issued a letter officially inviting Charles to speak.
“The United States Congress would be honored to host Your Majesty for this historic event, which will celebrate the shared heritage and enduring friendship between the United Kingdom and the United States,” the letter read in part.
“It is my distinct honor and great privilege to invite His Majesty King Charles III, The King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to address a Joint Meeting of Congress,” House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X.
The King and Queen Camilla are set to visit Washington from April 27 to April 30, during which they will attend a state dinner at the White House.
“I would be more than happy to sit down with him and give him ideas about what he might want to talk about, like ways to be the most possible ally, things we have in common, and the history that we share,” Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Brian Mast, R-Fla., told The Daily Signal.
