King says relationship between Britain and the US is ‘more important today than it has ever been’ and the countries’ bond is ‘irreplaceable and unbreakable’ in speech to Congress – while acknowledging victims of sexual abuse

The King has told US lawmakers that the relationship between Great Britain and the United States of America is ‘more important today than it has ever been’.

He said the challenges in the world today means that it is imperative the bond between our two countries remains ‘irreplaceable and unbreakable.’

The Monarch received a four-minute standing ovation as he walked into the packed chamber before he had even said a word, and another loud round of applause as he took to his feet to speak. 

He thanked the American people ‘on behalf of the Queen and myself’ for welcoming them to the US to mark the semi-quincentennial year of the Declaration of Independence.

Charles also made brief reference to the events of Saturday evening – when a shooter attempted to assassinate Mr Trump and senior members of his administration at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner – in a spirit of ‘solidarity, sympathy and support’.

Adding that ‘such acts of violence will never succeed’.

He used his historic 20-minute speech to Congress – becoming the first British king in history, and only the second British monarch after his late mother, to address a joint session – to very gently reference the victims of sexual abuse, although he did not refer to the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein directly.

Charles spoke about the need to ‘support victims of some of the ills that, so tragically, exist in both our societies today’.

A royal source told the Mail that ‘it was certainly in His Majesty’s mind to acknowledge victims of abuse’.

Quoting the playwright Oscar Wilde, Charles remarked: ‘And for all of that time, our destinies as nations have been interlinked’

King Charles III greets Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson, as he arrives to speak to a joint meeting of Congress

He received a four-minute standing ovation as he walked into the packed chamber before he had even said a word

King Charles and US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson stand for photos before a Joint Meeting of Congress at the US Capitol

Buckingham Palace had turned down a request by the family of Virginia Giuffre and other survivors to meet them during this week’s State Visit, saying they could not risk such a meeting while investigations were ongoing into the late paedophile’s activities in the UK, including his friendship with the King’s brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

Charles was accompanied on his visit to Congress by his wife, Queen Camilla, who had changed outfits from the morning in honour of the occasion, wearying an Anna Valentine cream coat and dress with black detailing. 

He sparked loud laughter in the chamber when he asked for volunteers to adopt the role of the MP who is ceremonially held ‘hostage’ at Buckingham Palace while the King delivers his speech at the State Opening of Parliament.

‘These days, we look after our guest rather well – to the point that they often do not want to leave. I don’t know, Mr Speaker, if there were any volunteers for that role here today…?’ the King said.

Quoting the playwright Oscar Wilde, Charles remarked: ‘And for all of that time, our destinies as nations have been interlinked.

‘As Oscar Wilde said, ‘We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language’.’

Referring to the conflict which led to the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago, the King acknowledged previous disputes but emphasised the enduring strength the relationship.

He said: ‘With the Spirit of 1776 in our minds, we can perhaps agree that we do not always agree – at least in the first instance!

‘Ours is a partnership born out of dispute, but no less strong for it… So perhaps, in this example, we can discern that our Nations are in fact instinctively like-minded – a product of the common democratic, legal and social traditions in which our governance is rooted to this day.

‘Drawing on these values and traditions, time and again, our two countries have always found ways to come together. And by Jove, Mr. Speaker, when we have found that way to agree, what great change is brought about – not just for the benefit of our peoples, but of all peoples.

‘This, I believe, is the Special ingredient in our Relationship. As President Trump himself observed during his State Visit to Britain last Autumn,

‘The bond of kinship and identity between America and the United Kingdom is priceless and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable.’

Referring to his grandfather, King George VI, who became the first reigning British Sovereign to set foot in America in 1939, he also referenced Anglo-US cooperations during the Second World War.

‘Today, we find ourselves in a new era, but those values remain,’ he said.

King Charles and US House Speaker Mike Johnson walk through Statuary Hall

(left to right) Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, King Charles III and Rep. Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House of Representatives, during the King’s meeting with congressional leaders

US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson arrives for Britain’s King Charles’ address during day two of the state visit

US Vice President JD Vance and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson stand before the start of a joint meeting of Congress with King Charles

Vice President JD Vance, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and members of Congress wait for the arrival of King Charles III

‘It is an era that is, in many ways, more volatile and more dangerous than the world to which my late Mother spoke, in this Chamber, in 1991.

‘The challenges we face are too great for any one Nation to bear alone.

‘But in this unpredictable environment, our Alliance cannot rest on past achievements, or assume that foundational principles simply endure.

‘As my Prime Minister 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.’

That renewal, he said: ‘Starts with security.’

‘The United Kingdom recognises that the threats we face demand a transformation in British defence.’

King Charles said in reference to some of the disputes that have dogged Anglo-US relations in recent months.

‘That is why our country, in order to be fit for the future, has committed to the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War – during part of which, over fifty years ago, I served with immense pride in the Royal Navy, following in the Naval footsteps of my Father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; my Grandfather, King George VI; my Great-Uncle, Lord Mountbatten; and my Great-Grandfather, King George V.’

Many will see this as a gentle rejoinder to the President for his public dismissal of the capabilities of the Royal Navy.

The King also paid tribute to the victims and their families of 9/11, which happened almost 25 years ago.

‘We stood with you then. And we stand with you now in solemn remembrance of a day that shall never be forgotten,’ he said.

The King used this as a segway into NATO – an organisation President Trump has roundly dismissed and threatened to quit – reminding the US leader of its importance in promoting global peace.

He said: ‘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.

‘Today, Mr. Speaker, that same, unyielding resolve is needed for the defence of Ukraine and her most courageous people – in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace.

‘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 N.A.T.O., pledged to each other’s defence, protecting our citizens and interests, keeping North Americans and Europeans safe from our common adversaries.

‘Our defence, intelligence and security ties are hardwired together through relationships measured not in years, but in decades.’

He added: ‘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 also referenced one of the other planks of his State Visit: closer ties on the economy and the slew of trade and technology agreements both governments hope to secure.

His Majesty also highlighted ties in education, research, and cultural exchange, which he said would ’empower citizens and future leaders of both countries’.

And he touched upon climate and environmental issues – not high on President Trump’s list of priorities but very much on his own.

King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive for a joint meeting of Congress in the House Chamber

Concluding his speech, the King said that ‘the story of the United Kingdom and the United States is, at its heart, a story of reconciliation, renewal and remarkable partnership’

‘We ignore at our peril the fact that these natural systems – in other words, Nature’s own economy – provide the foundation for our prosperity and our national security,’ he said.

Concluding his speech, the King said that ‘the story of the United Kingdom and the United States is, at its heart, a story of reconciliation, renewal and remarkable partnership’. 

‘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,’ he said.

‘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.

‘Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice-President, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, America’s words carry weight and meaning, as they have since Independence.

‘The actions of this great Nation matter even more. President Lincoln understood this so well, with his reflection in the magisterial Gettysburg Address that the world may little note what we say, but will never forget what we do.

‘And so, to the United States of America, on your 250th birthday, let our two countries rededicate ourselves to each other in the selfless service of our peoples and of all the peoples of the world.

‘God bless the United States and the United Kingdom.’

Queen Elizabeth II addressed the joint meeting of Congress in the Capitol a quarter of a century ago, when she visited the US in 1991.

The King began his visit by meeting the Speaker of the House of Representatives,  Mike Johnson.

This was followed by a meeting with the four leaders of the US Congress: Speaker Mr Johnson; House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries; Senate Majority Leader John Thune; and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.

The Escorting Committee, a bipartisan group of members of Congress appointed by the four leaders, preceded their Majesties into the chamber.

The House Sergeant at Arms and the Senate Sergeant at Arms then announced the King and Queen’s arrival at the doors of the chamber.

It came after a successful day for the King after the American leader spoke passionately about the bonds between the two nations as he staged a ceremonial military welcome for Charles and Queen Camilla at the White House.

Despite the recent tensions between the UK and the US, Mr Trump, speaking from a podium on the South Lawn on the second day of the King’s historic state visit, declared: ‘In the centuries since we won our independence, Americans have had no closer friends than the British.’

And he paid tribute to the ‘essence’ of the ‘special relationship’ in the wake of the Second World War , saying: ‘That understanding of our nation’s unique bond and role in history is the essence of our special relationship and we hope it will always remain that way.’

In a speech Mr Trump branded the US and the UK ‘the two most exceptional nations the world has ever known’, calling on the nations to go forward ‘together… with even stronger resolve’.

Mr Trump concluded: ‘Your Majesties, thank you once again for making this important visit. We are so honoured.’