King Charles III addressing US Congress on 28th April, 2026
World Must Unite for Challenges: King Charles tells US Congress
Deepak Razdan
29 April, 2026
A historic
address by the British Monarch, King Charles III, in US Congress on Tuesday,
the 28th April has raised hope the world may unite again and regain its wisdom
and strength to face uncertainties created by the US tariffs war and conflicts
in Ukraine and the Middle East.
US President
Donald Trump ushered in a New World, each nation working for its interest without
support of international rules, announcing a series of punitive import tariffs a
year ago, and creating uncertainties by distancing the US from protection of Europe
from Russia.
The world came to
realise that its constitution had undergone a complete transformation. Each
nation began negotiating with the US for trade tariffs. The United Kingdom and
the European Union (EU) had more worries, as President Trump clarified they
should not take US protection for granted, if Russia took its war against
Ukraine into European territories.
Even as the UK
and the EU were working on defence strategies for Ukraine, and considered how
the US war on Iran could restrict US support for them against Russia, the world
was a divided lot. Groups of nations in the last one year considered trade a
regional affair, and gave up hope of profitable trading with the world’s
largest importer, the US.
In this context,
the address by King Charles III, delivered in a pleasing, friendly manner, tried
to wake up the US to deeper realities and the international role the UK and the
US must continue to play for the welfare of mankind.
Acknowledging the
King’s survey of the international situation and references to the values the
two nations had stood for, the members of the two Houses of US Congress gave
standing ovations and virtually thanked the visiting Monarch several times for
effectively conveying nations must not forget the historical perspectives
through which they had lived.
The King recalled
the US had joined the UK in the Second World War because of shared values. He noted
the world today finds itself in a “new era,” but stressed the values had not
changed since the War and they remained.
“It is an era
that is, in many ways, more volatile and more dangerous than the world” about which
his late Mother, Queen Elizabeth II, spoke in the US Congress in 1991.
Pointing out
there was no choice for the two nations but to forget differences and to come
together, the King raised hopes for international togetherness and said “The
challenges we face are too great for any one Nation to bear alone.”
“In this
unpredictable environment, our Alliance cannot rest on past achievements, or
assume that foundational principles simply endure,” he said. The King recalled what
Prime Minister Keir Starmer had said last month:
“Ours is an
indispensable partnership. We must not disregard everything that has sustained
us for the last eighty years. Instead, we must build on it,” the Monarch recalled.
Recalling the
historical perspective, the King said the current year marked the 25th
anniversary of 9/11. The world had shared the US pain and come together. The
same unity was needed today also.
“In the immediate
aftermath of 9/11, when NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time, and the
United Nations Security Council was united in the face of terror, we answered
the call together -- as our people have done so for more than a century,
shoulder to shoulder, through two World Wars, the Cold War, Afghanistan and
moments that have defined our shared security,” King Charles said.
Stating that the
US could not run away from its commitment to the NATO, he said “From the depths
of the Atlantic to the disastrously melting ice-caps of the Arctic, the
commitment and expertise of the United States Armed Forces and its allies lie
at the heart of NATO, pledged to each other’s defence, protecting our citizens
and interests, keeping North Americans and Europeans safe from our common
adversaries.”
Saying how the UK
and the US were cooperating in defence production, he said “We do not embark on
these remarkable endeavours together out of sentiment. We do so because they
build greater shared resilience for the future, so making our citizens safer
for generations to come.”
The King
addressed the US Congress: “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.”
He referred to
the violent attempt on the life of the US President at the White House
Correspondents’ Dinner and said “We meet, too, in the aftermath of the incident
not far from this great building that sought to harm the leadership of your
Nation and to foment wider fear and discord.”
“Let me say with
unshakeable resolve: such acts of violence will never succeed. Whatever our
differences, whatever disagreements we may have, we stand united in our
commitment to uphold democracy, to protect all our people from harm, and to
salute the courage of those who daily risk their lives in the service of our
countries,” he said.
The story of the
United Kingdom and the United States is, at its heart, a story of
reconciliation, renewal and remarkable partnership, the King said.
Recalling the US Declaration
of Independence from British colonial rule in 1776, he said “From the bitter
divisions of 250 years ago, we forged a friendship that has grown into one of
the most consequential Alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all
my heart that our Alliance will continue to defend our shared values, with our
partners in Europe and the Commonwealth, and across the world, and that we
ignore the clarion calls to become ever more inward-looking,” he said.
Wishing the United
States of America on its 250th birthday, the King said “let our two countries
rededicate ourselves to each other in the selfless service of our peoples and
of all the peoples of the world.”
King Charles III
and Queen Camilla paid a four-day State visit to the US from 27 April. In
remarks at the arrival ceremony, President Trump also reflected on the deep
bonds uniting the two nations.
He said “Honouring
the British King might seem an ironic beginning to our celebration of 250 years
of American independence — but in fact, no tribute could be more appropriate.”
“Long before
Americans had a nation or Constitution, we first had a culture, a character,
and a creed. Before we ever proclaimed our independence, Americans carried
within us the rarest of gifts — moral courage — and it came from a small but
mighty kingdom from across the sea,” he said.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla on a State visit to the US welcomed by President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump
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