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April 28, 2026, 6:00 p.m. ET
Live Updates: King Charles Stresses Cooperation in Speech to Congress
The British monarch’s trip is intended in part to repair strained U.S.-British ties. President Trump will host him and Queen Camilla for a state dinner at the White House.
King Charles Addressing Congress
Salwan Georges for The New York Times
In the Oval Office
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State Visit Arrival Ceremony
Kenny Holston/The New York Times
Salwan Georges for The New York Times
Kenny Holston/The New York Times
Salwan Georges for The New York Times
Kenny Holston/The New York Times
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Michael D. Shear
Zolan Kanno-Youngs
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Michael D. Shear and Zolan Kanno-Youngs reported from Washington.
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King Charles III on Tuesday delivered an optimistic assessment of American-British relations at what is arguably their lowest point in decades, telling a joint meeting of Congress that the two countries had always found a way to come together.
“The very principle on which your Congress was founded — no taxation without representation — was at once a fundamental disagreement between us, and at the same time a shared democratic value which you inherited from us,” the king said. “Ours is a partnership born out of dispute.”
Charles did not directly refer to the current tensions between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Trump over the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran. Mr. Trump has repeatedly
belittled Mr. Starmer
as a coward and mocked British aircraft carriers as nothing more than “toys” compared to America’s military armada.
But the king offered a genteel response of sorts. He noted his own service in the Royal Navy more than a half-century ago and repeated Mr. Starmer’s assertion that Britain had “committed to the biggest sustained increase in defense spending since the Cold War.”
He also pushed back, ever so gently, against Mr. Trump’s angry attacks on Britain and
on the NATO alliance
for not joining in the Iran war. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the king told lawmakers, “We answered the call together — as our people have done so for more than a century.”
“Our defense, intelligence and security ties are hard-wired together through relationships measured not in years, but in decades,” he said.
The king’s message to Congress is intended to advance his government’s priorities without ensnaring himself in the ongoing disputes between Mr. Trump and Mr. Starmer.
The king met privately with Mr. Trump earlier in the day, following a formal White House welcome. There was a 21-gun salute at the White House, and the president and the king took part in a ceremony known as reviewing the troops, the highest diplomatic honor that can be extended by the United States to a visiting head of state.
In remarks to officials from both countries, as well as hundreds of spectators, Mr. Trump largely stuck to his prepared remarks. He praised the Anglo-American relationship in lofty terms, describing it as having birthed a “revolution in human freedom” that was “never, ever extinguished, but carried forward across centuries, across oceans and across history, until it became a fire that lit the entire world.”
On Tuesday evening, King Charles and Queen Camilla will attend a banquet in the White House’s State Dining Room. The king hosted
a similar dinner
for Mr. Trump at Windsor Castle in September.
On Wednesday, the royal couple will leave for events in New York City, including a morning visit to the Sept. 11 memorial and a celebrity-filled gala in the evening. They will conclude their trip to the United States on Thursday with a visit to Arlington National Cemetery and several stops elsewhere in Virginia.
Here’s what else to know:
Tight security:
Days after a gunman breached security in an attack on a gala dinner in Washington attended by Mr. Trump, measures for the state visit include both
highly visible and unseen layers of Secret Service protection
.
Visuals only:
British officials have been eager to avoid an awkward public moment in which Mr. Trump might belittle Mr. Starmer with the king at his side. As a result, there was only a brief photo opportunity before Charles and the president met privately on Tuesday, with no chance for reporters to yell questions.
Returning the favor:
At September’s Windsor Castle banquet, Mr. Trump called the state dinner “one of the highest honors of my life.”
In his toast
, the president added that Charles had for decades “epitomized the fortitude, nobility and the spirit of the British monarchy and the British people.”
Beyond Washington:
British officials said the four-day royal trip was planned to allow the king and queen to spend time outside the nation’s capital. In New York, the king will meet with young people in Harlem, while the queen tours a Winnie the Pooh exhibit at the New York Public Library. In Virginia, the king will attend a “block party” near the Shenandoah mountains, and the queen will visit a farm dedicated to the horse racing industry.
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April 28, 2026, 6:00 p.m. ET
Megan Specia
Reporting from London
The British public have taken a dim view of the king’s visit.
Image
King Charles III’s visit to Washington has been unpopular among the public in Britain, where some politicians even called for it to be canceled.
Credit...
Pool photo by Jane Barlow
The state visit by King Charles III has been months in the making, but the British public’s view of the trip soured as it drew closer and the relationship between the longtime allies grew more strained.
After weeks of President Trump aiming disparaging remarks at Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his government over their position on the war with Iran, opinion polls have shown that in Britain, where Mr. Trump is
deeply unpopular
, more people oppose the king’s visit than favor it. Some politicians even called for the trip to be scrapped before the king and Queen Camilla arrived in Washington on Monday.
Even so, some experts say there is diplomatic value in deploying the monarch in his official capacity as head of state, especially as Mr. Trump has shown a fondness for the king and for the royals more broadly. The president clearly reveled in being the guest of honor, seated next to Charles, at
a Windsor Castle banquet
in September.
“If you’re going to have a monarchy, the place that can shine most is on the international stage,” said Ed Owens, a royal historian and expert on Britain’s royal family. “It is something that Britain has that many other countries don’t have.
The king may be able to soften some of the rougher edges in the relationship with the United States, Mr. Owens said — the kind of diplomacy he has mastered through five decades of engaging as a representative for Britain internationally.
“One of the calling cards of royal diplomacy is that they put their personal tastes to one side in order to carry out their duty on behalf of the country,” Mr. Owens added.
Since the United States and Israel began the war with Iran two months ago, some British politicians called on the government to cancel the king’s visit. Ed Davey, the leader of Britain’s Liberal Democrats party,
said
last month that the government was “showing a staggering lack of backbone by pushing ahead with this state visit while Donald Trump treats our country with contempt.”
Later, in Parliament, Mr. Davey said that he feared “for what Trump might say or do while our king is forced to stand by his side.” He added: “We cannot put His Majesty in that position.”
British officials, for their part, have been eager to avoid an awkward moment in which Mr. Trump might belittle Mr. Starmer in the king’s presence. As a result, on Tuesday the men appeared before reporters only for a brief photo opportunity ahead of their private meeting, with no chance for reporters to yell questions.
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April 28, 2026, 3:58 p.m. ET
Leo Sands
More than 120 foreign leaders have addressed Congress. Not many have been kings.
Image
Queen Elizabeth II addressed Congress in 1991.
Credit...
Doug Mills/Associated Press
Foreign leaders have addressed joint meetings of Congress more than 120 times since 1874, when King David Kalakaua of Hawaii, then still a sovereign state, started the tradition. But the number of kings and queens among them is relatively few.
On Tuesday, King Charles III
became the 11th
monarch to do so, and the first since King Abdullah II of Jordan in 2007.
He also followed his mother: Queen Elizabeth II used her 1991 address to Congress to champion the “Atlantic alliance” of Europe and the United States, a relationship she said was based on the belief that societies should be governed by consent and stability rather than through domination.
In the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War — which Britain had joined — and against the backdrop of the Iron Curtain’s slow-motion collapse, Elizabeth thanked the United States for its loyalty and friendship while
warning against an overreliance on military force
.
“All our history in this and earlier centuries underlines the basic point that the best progress is made when Europeans and Americans act in concert,” she said.
Nor did she miss an opportunity to crack a joke. When the queen, who measured 5 feet 4 inches, had stood up to begin an address at the White House earlier that week, her lectern was so tall that only a bobbing hat had been visible to those standing. “I do hope you can see me today,” she quipped before congressional lawmakers.
Not everyone was laughing. A delegation of Congress members led by Representative Joseph P. Kennedy II, Democrat of Massachusetts, boycotted the queen’s speech in protest against Britain’s actions in Northern Ireland. For many advocates of a united Ireland, the crown continued to be a toxic emblem of British colonial oppression.
Representative Gus Savage, Democrat of Illinois,
shunned the speech
for a different reason: Britain’s decision to lift economic sanctions on South Africa, which was still negotiating an end to apartheid. He called Elizabeth the “queen of colonialism.”
King Charles’s visit also comes at a delicate time, though one of
a very different nature
and with no sign of plans for a boycott. Britain has not joined the latest American military venture in the Middle East, infuriating President Trump and straining ties with the United States.
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April 28, 2026, 3:45 p.m. ET
Robert Jimison
Reporting from the Capitol
The king’s speech, which included direct reminders to lawmakers of their own ability to be a check on President Trump’s actions, received multiple standing ovations. It was a display of statesmanship that many have tried, and failed, to achieve in these halls.
Image
Credit...
Salwan Georges for The New York Times
Image
Credit...
Salwan Georges for The New York Times
April 28, 2026, 3:40 p.m. ET
Shawn McCreesh
White House reporter
True to form, King Charles devoted a large chunk of his speech to environmentalism and “the natural wonders” of the United States. He spoke about what Teddy Roosevelt called “the glorious heritage of this land’s extraordinary natural splendor, on which so much of its prosperity has always depended.” This has been his life’s great passion.
April 28, 2026, 3:36 p.m. ET
Robert Jimison
Reporting from the Capitol
Jamieson Greer, the U.S. trade representative, sits unmoved, looking toward the dais, as the king mentions trade relations between the U.S. and Britain.
“We celebrate the $430 billion in annual trade that continues to grow; the $1.7 trillion in mutual investment that fuels that innovation; and the millions of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic supported across both economies,” King Charles says, adding that “these are strong foundations on which to continue to build.”
April 28, 2026, 3:34 p.m. ET
Zolan Kanno-Youngs
White House reporter
King Charles notes that Britain and the U.S. have supported each other in “two world wars, the Cold War, Afghanistan and moments that have defined our shared security.” He then says “that same unyielding resolve is needed for the defense of Ukraine.” His comments are notable given it comes as Trump has insulted the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, questioning his leadership and lack of support for the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran.
April 28, 2026, 3:31 p.m. ET
Shawn McCreesh
White House reporter
The subtext of this part of the king’s speech: Climate change is real, and NATO matters.
April 28, 2026, 3:31 p.m. ET
Robert Jimison
Reporting from the Capitol
The king says that the same unified support for the United States in the aftermath of Sept. 11 attacks “is needed for the defense of Ukraine and her most courageous people — in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace.”
Video
April 28, 2026, 3:28 p.m. ET
Robert Jimison
Reporting from the Capitol
Many of the themes the king has mentioned — the foundations of democracy, the assurances of checks and balances, and how thoughtful debate strengthens the legislative process — land at a time when this Congress has
ceded
much of its authority to President Trump.
Lawmakers have spent much of this session battling through gridlock and dysfunction to get anything passed. Even today, it is unclear if a host of large legislative priorities around national security, agriculture and food assistance, will be able to pass before critical deadlines.
April 28, 2026, 3:25 p.m. ET
Megan Specia
Reporting from London
The king’s delicate delivery of a message of unity at this fraught moment is likely to be received well at home. Britain’s royal family has taken on a more important role in the country’s diplomacy in recent years, thanks in part to President Trump’s fondness for them.
April 28, 2026, 3:21 p.m. ET
Michael D. Shear
Reporting from Washington
The king just might be making a case that he could have had a career as a stand-up comedian if the whole monarchy thing hadn’t worked out for him.
April 28, 2026, 3:19 p.m. ET
Shawn McCreesh
White House reporter
King Charles tells a joke about “a tale of two Georges” and the chamber cracks up again. He’s killing it up there.
Image
Credit...
Salwan Georges for The New York Times
Video
April 28, 2026, 3:17 p.m. ET
Robert Jimison
Reporting from the Capitol
This speech — and its reception — is so far notable for how little tension there is in the room. The most recent joint addresses, delivered by President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, were raucous events defined by protests and fiery rhetoric. So far there has been none of that.
April 28, 2026, 3:16 p.m. ET
Michael D. Shear
Reporting from Washington
Charles called Congress a “renowned chamber of debate and deliberation.” In fact, Congress — despite its reputation — is actually somewhat tame compared to the debates that take place in Parliament, especially during the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions session on Wednesdays.
April 28, 2026, 3:15 p.m. ET
Megan Specia
Reporting from London
The king has just made reference to the age-old tradition in Westminster of taking a member of Parliament “hostage” at Buckingham Palace while he addresses Parliament, just in case the lawmakers decide not to return him. The custom is rooted in the 1600s, when the relationship between Parliament and the monarchy was particularly fraught under Charles I. (Things didn’t end so well for that Charles, who was eventually beheaded at the end of a civil war.)
April 28, 2026, 3:14 p.m. ET
Zolan Kanno-Youngs
White House reporter
“Such acts of violence will never succeed,” King Charles says, noting that he is delivering a speech not far from what the authorities have described as an attempted assassination of President Trump last weekend.
Image
Credit...
Salwan Georges for The New York Times
April 28, 2026, 3:12 p.m. ET
Robert Jimison
Reporting from the Capitol
“We meet in times of great uncertainty,” King Charles says before referring to the war in Ukraine and the war in Iran as conflicts which “pose immense challenges for the international community.”
April 28, 2026, 3:11 p.m. ET
Shawn McCreesh
White House reporter
Early in his speech, King Charles quotes the Irish writer Oscar Wilde: “We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language!” The chamber chuckles.
April 28, 2026, 3:06 p.m. ET
Robert Jimison
Reporting from the Capitol
King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom have entered the chamber for the king’s address to a joint meeting of Congress.
April 28, 2026, 3:05 p.m. ET
Robert Jimison
Reporting from the Capitol
It is worth a reminder for those watching the feed that events like this are rare and bring together high-level officials who do not frequently interact with one another. For example, Stephen Breyer, the retired Supreme Court justice, is seated next to Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs. The two are drawing quite the crowd of lawmakers wanting to say hello.
Image
Credit...
Salwan Georges for The New York Times
April 28, 2026, 2:57 p.m. ET
Robert Jimison
Reporting from the Capitol
Members of President Trump’s cabinet have arrived in the chamber. Notably absent are the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and the secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth.
April 28, 2026, 2:48 p.m. ET
Robert Jimison
Reporting from the Capitol
Speaker Mike Johnson has gaveled in the joint meeting of Congress. Now begins a procession of administration officials, senators, ambassadors and other dignitaries attending the address by King Charles. Vice President JD Vance, in his role as the president of the senate, is the first to enter the chamber.
April 28, 2026, 2:36 p.m. ET
Stephen Castle
Reporting from London
Trump hosts Charles, the king of Britain and, perhaps, his cousin.
Image
President Trump, left, is hosting King Charles III in Washington this week. It emerged on Tuesday that the two men might be distantly related through a 16th-century Scottish nobleman.
Credit...
Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times
Not only is President Trump hosting King Charles III on a state visit to the United States but he is also related to his royal guest, according to an analysis commissioned by a British newspaper.
“Wow, that’s nice. I’ve always wanted to live in Buckingham Palace!!!” Mr. Trump
wrote
on Truth Social on Tuesday, citing the research published by
The Daily Mail
, a British tabloid. “I’ll talk to the King and Queen about this in a few minutes!!!”
The president didn’t say whether he talked with the royal couple about it during their visit, but he called the king “a fantastic person” and said it was a real honor to host them.
Mr. Trump’s claim to royal blood lies in a common ancestor, the third Earl of Lennox, who was a great-grandson of King James II of Scotland. That makes Mr. Trump — long an admirer of the British monarchy, and whose mother was Scottish — a 15th cousin of King Charles, according to the Daily Mail.
The Daily Mail said that Robert Barrett, a former research editor at the paper and a genealogist, had “studied multiple land records, church records and Scottish peerage documents to piece together” Mr. Trump’s lineal connection to the House of Windsor.
Surprising though it may sound, the suggestion is plausible. In fact, experts say, millions of Britons may be able to make similar claims to a royal bloodline.
Adam Rutherford, an author and geneticist, argued in
his book
“A Brief History of Everyone That Ever Lived” that almost everyone with British heritage was related one way or another to royalty. “There is a virtually impossible chance that if you were born in the 1970s then you are not directly descended from Edward III,”
Mr. Rutherford wrote in a 2017 article
, citing d
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