King Charles urges US to reject isolationism

King Charles III called on the US to maintain its leadership role in the world, and to support Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in a remarkably pointed speech for a monarch that urged Americans to resist the pull of isolationism.

Charles used his remarks to a joint session of Congress — the first such address by a British monarch in more than three decades — to argue for preserving the alliance between the UK and US. The king appealed to the shared heritage between the two nations, sprinkling his remarks with references to culture, religion and principles behind America’s decision to declare independence 250 years ago.

“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,” Charles told the assembled lawmakers, with Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson seated behind him.

The relationship between the US and the UK has fallen to its lowest level in decades amid a messy public feud between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Trump has spent recent months criticizing and insulting Starmer — with whom he previously shared a warm relationship — before Starmer split with the president over the war in Iran and his threats about annexing Greenland.

The speech on Capitol Hill came on the second day of Charles’ four-day state visit, a trip that has thrust him into an unusually prominent diplomatic role. While his words were carefully measured, the king’s message at several points — including on supporting NATO and Ukraine, as well as calls for environmental stewardship — could be read as an implicit critique of Trump administration policies.

The king’s remarks — during which he was repeatedly interrupted by applause — stressed the durability of a relationship that began with a revolution. “With the spirit of 1776 in our minds, we can perhaps agree that we do not always agree — at least in the first instance,” Charles said.

Trump, who has made little secret of his admiration of royalty in general and the British monarchy in particular, hosted Charles at a state banquet after the speech.

“In the centuries since we won our independence, Americans have had no closer friends than the British,” Trump said. The president called Charles a “blessing” to the countries’ relationship and predicted, “I am very certain that it will continue that way long into the future.”

The state dinner invitees also included a long list of heavy-hitters from the finance, business and tech sectors, including many individuals who supported Trump’s 2024 election win or have sought a close relationship with him in his second term. Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, Apple Inc.’s Tim Cook, Nvidia Corp.’s Jensen Huang, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen and Blackstone Inc.’s Steve Schwarzman were among names included on the White House’s guest list.

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The long-planned event is intended to mark the 250th anniversary of the US’s independence from Britain, though its diplomatic mission has taken on new urgency amid Trump’s recent feud with Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the UK’s limited support for US military action against Iran. Photographer: Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg
Charles earlier attended a greeting ceremony hosted by Trump on the South Lawn of the White House. Trump at times veered from his script to praise Charles, recalling how his Scottish-born mother watched the royal as a young man during televised ceremonies. “My mother had a crush on Charles,” the president said.

The king’s remarks to Congress, however, were more pointed, coming amid growing international concern about the US’s commitment to the post-war order it had helped build. Charles mentioned how the United Nations and NATO had come to America’s defense in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and cited the UK’s “shoulder-to-shoulder” cooperation with the US through two world wars.

He argued that the partnership between Europe and America was “more important today than it has ever been,” he said. He said that “unyielding resolve is needed for the defense of Ukraine and her most courageous people – in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace,” echoing his remarks to Trump in September.

Even the king’s references to history could be received by an American audience as veiled warnings, intentional or not.

Charles cited the example of Britain’s Magna Carta as giving the US inspiration on how executive authority should be subject to checks and balances. His comment came amid criticism that the Republican-held Senate and House have too widely deferred to Trump’s sweeping expansion of executive power. Democratic leaders could be seen in the chamber standing and applauding the line.

Similarly, his exhortation about the need for an independent judiciary stands in contrast to the president’s frequent criticisms of judges and Supreme Court justices who rule against his own wishes.

While Charles didn’t refer to Iran specifically, he cited “times of conflict from Europe to the Middle East,” which he warned poses “immense challenges for the international community and whose impact is felt in communities the length and breadth of our own countries.” Europe is currently grappling with an energy price shock as well as a looming jet fuel crisis that threatens summer air travel.

Though Republicans at times displayed muted responses — to Charles’ calls on the importance to protect the environment for example — there was overwhelming support for the king with several standing ovations throughout the speech.

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“I believe most members of Congress feel better after the speech than they did before. Though I will admit it was a bit odd that the unifying feeling had to come from the King of England,” Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and close Trump ally, said in a social media post after the speech, “but so be it!,”

Shortly before Charles’ arrival, the efforts to demonstrate stability suffered a blow when it was reported that the UK’s ambassador to the US had played down the status of the relationship between the two countries. The ambassador, Christian Turner, said that the US’s only special relationship was “probably Israel,” the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing a recording of the remarks.

The Foreign Office said Turner’s statements weren’t intended for public consumption and did not reflect the government’s official position.

Charles’ speech to a joint meeting of Congress represents only the second time a British monarch has done so, following Queen Elizabeth II’s address in 1991 in which she was greeted with a standing ovation from the American lawmakers assembled at the Capitol.

Elizabeth in that speech referenced the Gulf War — though the UK government supported that US intervention, unlike the recent conflict in Iran where Britain opted out of aiding the initial strikes.

Charles, who typically remains above day-to-day politics, has shown a greater willingness than his mother to wade into contentious waters. Last year, he traveled to Canada to declare the nation as sovereign and free in a speech to its parliament following Trump’s taunts about making the country the ‘51st state.’ It was the first such appearance since 1977.

“America’s words carry weight and meaning, as they have since Independence,” Charles concluded in his speech to Congress on Tuesday. “The actions of this great nation matter even more.”

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