King Charles III on Tuesday stood before a joint session of Congress and delivered among the most pointed comments any allied leader has given on American soil during President Donald Trump’s second term.
Charles invoked NATO’s Article 5 response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, a direct rebuke to Trump’s regular needling of NATO allies as not doing enough for the United States. He called for “unyielding resolve” in defense of Ukraine and pointed to the establishment of the Magna Carta in 1215, which declared that even a king isn’t above the law.
“In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time … we answered the call together, as our people have done so for more than a century, shoulder to shoulder,” the king said.
The speech, much like the four-day trip, was meant to be an explicit reminder of the “special relationship” between the two countries and an implicit rebuke of an administration that has dismissed the transatlantic alliance as a necessity of a bygone era.
Charles’ words – including an exhortation of respect for what he called “this citadel of democracy” – were delivered amid the ceremonial platform of a state visit Trump has filled with pageantry: honor guards, a flyover by military jets, elaborate gift exchanges and a black tie dinner.
The king and queen will travel to New York on Wednesday to visit the 9/11 memorial in lower Manhattan for a wreath laying, which New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg are expected to join.
Beyond the shade, Charles also praised the relationship between the two countries, and unequivocally condemned Saturday’s shooting attack at a journalism gala, saying “such acts of violence will never succeed.”
Trump noted in his remarks the irony of honoring the British king to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, but claimed, “American patriots today can sing ‘my country ‘tis of thee, great land of liberty’ because our colonial ancestors first sang ‘God Save the King.’” He called the U.K. the closest friend to the U.S. and praised the militaries for fighting together. On the White House X account appeared a photograph of Trump and the king laughing together with the caption, “TWO KINGS,” mocking critics who refer to him as a wannabe monarch in the widespread “No Kings” rallies across the country.
He also said he would be watching the king’s address – only the second such time a sitting British monarch has addressed a joint session of Congress.
In that address, the king made clear he did not forget Trump’s suggestion earlier this year that allied forces stayed “a little off the front lines” in the war in Afghanistan, receiving sharp criticism for it from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other NATO allies.
Charles also directly quoted Starmer, who has clashed with Trump in recent months over the U.K.’s refusal to provide full military support for the U.S. and Israeli operation against Iran. Trump has also taken aim at the UK for not acting to help the U.S. military reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“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,” the king said.
And he nodded to the impacts of climate change, saying the world must “address the collapse of critical natural systems, which threatens far more than the harmony and essential diversity of nature.”
Ahead of Charles’ trip to Congress, Trump came out of their private meeting— during which gifts were exchanged to mark the centuries-old relationship— declaring “it was a really good meeting” and calling Charles “fantastic” and suggesting it was a “real honor” to meet with him.
He rolled out pomp and circumstance for the king and queen’s arrival, including honor guards from various branches of the U.S. military and an F-35 flyover while Trump and Charles, and their wives, watched from the balcony.
Later Tuesday, the two leaders will attend a black tie state dinner with 100 other guests.
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