King Charles III of England ​addressed the U.S. Congress on Tuesday evening on the second day of his state visit to the United States. He insisted on the importance of Anglo-American unity and the need to defend the values ​​of democracy. He also asked American elected officials to demonstrate “unfailing determination” in the defense of Ukraine.

Published on: 04/28/2026 - 6:14 p.m. Modified on: 04/28/2026 - 11:25 p.m.

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King Charles III addressed the American Congress on Tuesday April 28 as part of his state visit to American soil. He insisted on the importance of the “special relationship” which governs relations between the United Kingdom and the United States, while mentioning the need to defend the values ​​of democracy.

The alliance between the two countries "cannot rest on past successes", declared the British sovereign on Tuesday after being received in the morning by Donald Trump in rare pomp at the White House.

“The challenges we face are too great for any nation to face alone,” said Charles III, urging both countries to defend their common values ​​and resist calls to turn “always more inward.”

A veiled criticism of the American president delivered from the podium of the hemicycle, in the presence of Vice-President J.D. Vance and the highest American officials but in the absence of Donald Trump.

Democratic parliamentarians particularly applauded the passage in the speech mentioning the balance of powers, again seen as a reference to Donald Trump.

Charles III is only the second British sovereign to speak on Capitol Hill in Washington, following a speech by Elizabeth II, his mother, in 1991.

The king also called on deputies and senators on Tuesday to demonstrate "unfailing determination" for the defense of Ukraine, while Europeans have regretted since the return of Donald Trump a disengagement from Washington in its support for kyiv against Russia, on the battlefield and in diplomatic negotiations.

After a standing ovation, his first words were to condemn political violence. The shootings which took place on Saturday during a press gala in which Donald Trump participated attempted to “further foment fear and discord”, regretted the sovereign. “Such acts of violence will never succeed.”

The sovereign, known for his defense of nature, also called for protecting the environment.

“A very good meeting”

In the morning, Donald Trump, very fond of monarchical splendor, received Charles III and Queen Camilla with soldiers in full regalia, a fanfare, 21 cannon shots and a flyover by combat planes.

“What a beautiful British day,” joked the American president at the start of the ceremony at the White House, in front of guests freezing and soaked by intermittent rain.

“Since we gained our independence many centuries ago, Americans have had no closer friends than the British,” the US president said, adding that the two countries had a “special relationship and we hope it will always be so.”

In this year of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the United States, marking the break of the British colonies from the Crown, Donald Trump certainly considered it "ironic" to celebrate the King of England in this way.

See alsoVisit of Charles III: Towards an improvement in relations between London and Washington?

But the Republican leader justified this lavish welcome by the “blood” ties between the two nations, declaring that the settlers from across the ocean had brought “the noble British spirit to a wild and untamed continent”.

Donald Trump and Charles III then had a private meeting in the Oval Office.

The American president, who was delighted with the lavish welcome received in the United Kingdom last year, then told journalists: "It was a very good meeting, he is a fantastic person."

A contrast with his relationship with Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Donald Trump did not appreciate that the Labor leader refused the use of British bases during the first American strikes on Iran.

First visit in two decades

Only the British Ambassador to the United States, Christian Turner, somewhat disturbed the good-natured atmosphere of this state visit.

During a mid-February exchange with British high school students revealed Tuesday by the Financial Times, he said that the United States' "special relationship" was that linking it to Israel, not to the United Kingdom.

The king, aged 77, will speak briefly again Tuesday evening during a gala dinner at the White House.

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.

At the Capitol, the monarch did not speak on the political differences between the American president and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, but emphasized the values ​​common to the two countries, while protecting the environment and religious freedom.

Also read “We must wake up”: a new anti-Semitic attack in London

Although Donald Trump has recently toned down his criticism of Britain, an internal Pentagon email outlined how the United States ‌could review its position on the Falkland Islands, which are the subject of a dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom, as punishment for his lack of support.

With AFP and Reuters

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