King Charles addresses Congress to mark America’s 250th anniversary
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It was the spring of 1991.
Roxette’s song “Joyride” topped the charts. Roseanne and Murphy Brown reigned supreme on television. And Queen Elizabeth became the first British monarch to speak to a Joint Session of Congress.
The world was evolving in early 1991. The Berlin Wall fell a year and a half ago, the Soviet Union was on the verge of disintegration, and the United States and the United Kingdom, among others, came together to defeat Iraq after invading Kuwait in the First Gulf War.
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Kuwaiti soldiers wearing gas masks and protective clothing advance through southern Kuwait in an armed motor convoy on February 24, 1991, the first full day of ground combat in Operation Desert Storm. Allied troops encountered resistance in some areas but no gas weapons were reported. Vehicles display an upside-down letter “V” as an ally recognition symbol.
This paradigmatic shift was at the heart of the Queen’s speech to Congress that spring.
From the rostrum in the House of Representatives chamber, the Queen said: “The rapid and dramatic changes in Eastern Europe over the last decade have created great opportunities for the people of these countries. They are finding their own paths to freedom. But they see that these paths would be blocked if it were not for the Atlantic alliance and standing together. If your country and my country were not together.” “Let us never forget this lesson.”
This observation epitomized the special bond that has been forged between the United States and the United Kingdom for decades.
250 years ago, the United States declared independence from England.
A quarter of a millennium later, King Charles descended on Capitol Hill to greet America on its 250th anniversary.
“Ours is a partnership born of disagreement. But it is no less strong for that,” Charles told MPs.
There is a rich irony in King Charles’ speech to Congress at the time of the “No Kings” movement supported by the American left. But given how relations between the US and the UK have evolved over the past few years, some Americans may not be too pleased with the King’s speech.
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King Charles III speaks to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on April 28, 2026. (Kylie Cooper/Pool/AP)
Ties between the two countries are fraying due to the war in Iran, questions about the future of NATO and customs duties.
“There is a special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom, an erosion of toxic Republican policies over the last 15 months. And we hope the King’s visit will go a long way in repairing the damage,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, DY.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. He was more optimistic.
Johnson became the first Speaker to address the British House of Commons in January, but hinted at trans-Atlantic rifts.
“This friendship is very important right now. Our allies are also very important to us. There have been some tensions in relations due to international events. But I think the King’s visit is perfectly timed,” Johnson said.
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King Charles made history as the second British monarch to address Congress, after his mother, Queen Elizabeth, addressed Congress in 1991. (HENRY NICHOLLS / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
When Queen Elizabeth addressed Congress in 1991, timing was everything. The late President George HW Bush declared that the world had entered a “new world order.” The Queen told MPs that Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait was “a disgrace that must be reversed, both for the people of Kuwait and for the principle that naked aggression should not prevail”. This underscored the importance of international action in repelling the Bush-led invasion.
The Queen said America’s and Britain’s reactions to the invasion were “identical”, adding that “we have both learned from history that we must not allow aggression to succeed”.
Things are different now. There are mixed reactions from the West and some parts of Europe to the four-year war in Ukraine. The United States and most of Europe do not agree that the United States should start a war with Iran.
In 1990 and 1991, Bush 41 developed an international coalition to push back Iraq. Former President George W. Bush did the same in 2002 and 2003, leading to the Second Gulf War. But President Trump formed no international alliances before taking action against Iran, despite its nuclear threats.
Charles focused on risks arising in the current global environment.
“We meet in times of great uncertainty. From Europe to the Middle East, in times of conflict that pose great challenges to the international community and whose impact is felt in communities across our countries,” Charles said.
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During his visit, King Charles addressed a Joint Session of Congress in the House of Representatives. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
But it was America’s 250th anniversary that drew King Charles to Washington in the first place. In fact, his speech to Congress was one of the first major events in the procession to celebrate the nation’s sesquicentennial.
“With the ‘Spirit of 1776’ in our minds, perhaps we can agree that we do not always agree,” the King said. “At least at first.”
This made everyone in the hall laugh.
Nuance and subtlety are hallmarks of the Crown’s statements. King Charles hinted at the conflict in Iran, although he did not mention it by name.
“My hope and prayer is that by working together and with our international partners in these turbulent times, we can prevent plowshares from turning into swords,” Charles said.
He suggested that the US and the UK might agree because “people of different beliefs have increased understanding of each other”.
Like his mother 35 years ago, the King talked about where the US and Britain’s historical connections lie and spoke kindly of the fraying NATO alliance.
“Our defence, intelligence and security ties are closely intertwined through relationships. They are measured in decades, not years,” Charles said. “We are building F-35s together and have signed the most ambitious submarine program in history.”
But despite some existing political rifts, Charles observed that there was an indelible, tectonic bond between the United States and the United Kingdom.
“A thousand years before our nations existed, before any boundaries were drawn, the mountains of Scotland and Appalachia were one. A single, continuous range formed in the ancient collision of continents,” the King said.
Yes, a geographical and political ocean can now separate the parties. But the King’s message now is that there has always been a connection between the United States and the United Kingdom. All the way to the earth’s crust.
King quoted President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
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Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on November 19, 1863. (JLG Ferris/Getty)
“‘The world may not pay much attention to what we say. But it will never forget what you did,’ said the King.”
This is the challenge before the two nations. All relationships are oscillating, but the real question is what the parties will do about the current rift between them.
No one has forgotten what the West did: helping end the Cold War and liberating Eastern Europe from the Soviet bloc. This was followed by the dissolution of the USSR. President George HW Bush has certainly achieved the “new world order.”
This worked for a while, and Queen Elizabeth spoke about it on Capitol Hill in 1991. Then September 11 happened. And over time, the heady optimism of the early 1990s faded.
We are at this point now.
Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” is topping the music charts in spring 2026. Unchosen and The Pitt dominate what people stream or watch on TV. And King Charles has just finished his speech to Congress.
The world is developing in 2026 as it was in 1991.
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But the question is which way things will go. People may not remember the “words” from Queen Elizabeth’s or King Charles’ speeches on Capitol Hill. But as Lincoln suggested, the world will not “forget” what people have done.
See where things are 35 years later.
