From US-UK relations to the importance of NATO/King Charles, speech before the US Congress

2026-04-29 07:54:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

From US-UK relations to the importance of NATO/King Charles, speech before the

King Charles, in a speech before the US Congress, praised Britain's special relationship with the US, while also speaking about the importance of NATO, the defense of Ukraine, and the climate crisis.

Charles' appearance before a joint session of Congress, the first such royal address in 35 years, was billed as the centerpiece of his four-day state visit to the United States, where he and Queen Camilla are taking part in celebrations to mark the 250th anniversary of independence.

Charles praised the historic bond between the two nations, saying: “ The alliance that our two nations have built over the centuries - and for which we are deeply grateful to the American people - is truly unique.”

The king called for unwavering commitment to the cause of Ukraine and its people in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace. Speaking from the House of Representatives podium to an audience that included lawmakers from both parties and senior military officials, he also stressed the importance of action on the climate crisis.

"While we celebrate the beauty that surrounds us, our generation must decide how to address the decline of critical natural systems, which threatens much more than the essential harmony and diversity of nature. We ignore, at our peril, the fact that these natural systems, in other words, the economy of nature itself, provide the foundation for our prosperity and national security ," said King Charles.

He also underlined the importance of trade between the two nations at a time when Trump has threatened to impose further tariffs on Britain.

“Overall, we celebrate the $430 billion in annual trade that continues to grow, the $1.7 trillion in mutual investment that fuels this innovation, and the millions of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic supported by our two economies. From the depths of the Atlantic to the catastrophic melting of Arctic ice, the commitment and expertise of the armed forces of the United States and its allies stand at the heart of NATO, committed to each other’s defense, protecting our citizens and interests, keeping North Americans and Europeans safe from our common adversaries ,” he said.

While it was the first such speech by a member of the British royal family since Queen Elizabeth II addressed the chamber in 1991, Charles described the world as more unstable and dangerous since then and stressed the need to support NATO.

"We meet at a time of great uncertainty, at a time of conflict from Europe to the Middle East, which present great challenges ," he told the chamber, packed with American lawmakers.

The speech followed a grand White House arrival ceremony in which Trump declared that Americans have no closer friends than the British amid a military parade and a flyover. In a speech later in the day at a grand state dinner at the White House hosted by Trump, Charles said tonight they were there to renew an indispensable alliance.

At the same event, Trump told the assembled guests that Iran had been militarily wiped out, in his first public comments on the sensitive topic during the royal visit.

"Charles agrees with me even more than I do - we will never allow that adversary to have a nuclear weapon ," Trump said.

As Trump threatens to tear up a trade deal he signed with Starmer and impose a steep tariff if the UK does not impose a digital services tax on US companies, the king called the nations' long-standing trading ties "a strong foundation on which to continue to build for generations yet to come." /CNA