Visiting the United States, King Charles III will address the American Congress on Tuesday for his second day in Washington. Donald Trump and the British sovereign will then have a private meeting in the Oval Office and will return to the White House at the end of the day for a banquet.
Published on: 04/28/2026 - 03:57 Modified on: 04/28/2026 - 07:42
Charles III enters the thick of his state visit to the United States on Tuesday, April 28, with a reception with great fanfare at the White House and a speech before Congress to try to forget the tensions between the two countries over the war in Iran.
For his second day in Washington, the King of England will discuss the historical ties that bind the United Kingdom and the United States, two countries which "have always been able to find ways to come together", according to extracts from his speech provided by his press service.
Before addressing American parliamentarians, Charles III and Queen Camilla will be formally welcomed to the White House by Donald and Melania Trump with 21 cannon shots and a review of troops.
Donald Trump and Charles III will then have a private meeting in the Oval Office, while their wives will participate in an event dedicated to education and artificial intelligence. They will return to the White House at the end of the day for a banquet.
In the meantime, Charles III will speak for around twenty minutes before the American Congress, 250 years after the declaration of independence of the American colonies from the British crown, on July 4, 1776.
“A great guy”
It is only the second time that a British sovereign has spoken on Capitol Hill in Washington, following a speech by Elizabeth II in 1991.
Charles III will speak at a time of tension in the “special relationship” between the two countries, which he must, according to an extract from his speech, describe as “one of the greatest alliances in human history”.
Personally well disposed towards the king – a “great guy” in his words – Donald Trump, on the other hand, does not spare his criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer because of London's reservations regarding the war in Iran. The Labor leader notably refused the use of British bases during the first American strikes.
In this context, Charles III intends to recall that the defense of democratic ideals is "essential for freedom and equality" in the face of international challenges, and will recall the multiple alliances, such as NATO, which link the two countries.
The king, aged 77, will speak briefly again in the evening at the state dinner, planned in a room at the White House smaller than the vast ballroom under construction that Donald Trump is so keen on.
The royal couple began their state visit on Monday with tea at the White House and then a tour of the adjoining beehives, followed by an evening reception at the British Embassy with cucumber sandwiches on the menu.
This first official trip by Charles III and Camilla to the United States takes place just a few days after a new alleged assassination attempt on the American president. The king will refer to it in his speech.
On Wednesday, the royal couple must travel to New York to visit the September 11 memorial, before flying on Thursday to the British territory of Bermuda, in the Atlantic Ocean.
With AFP
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