King Charles speech to Congress: Monarch’s subtle swipes at US President Donald Trump during Capitol address

King Charles has delivered a speech to Congress which packed a bigger punch than many might have been expecting, seemingly taking aim directly at Donald Trump’s policies and behaviour. While making several jokes which had his audience in stitches, there was no doubt his message was a serious one.

Charles delivered an address to both houses on Capitol Hill telling the assembled politicians the partnership between the two nations is “more important today than it has ever been”, adding when Britain and America drew on their common values to come together: “This, I believe, is the special ingredient in our relationship”.

During his speech in the Hall of the House, whose public and press galleries were packed, the King spoke of the importance of Nato, the value of European partners and the need to reduce world conflicts, stemming the “beating of ploughshares into swords”, all priorities for Sir Keir Starmer’s Government.

Charles is midway through a four-day state visit to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence and he spoke about bonds between former enemies, the US and Britain.

His speech on Tuesday (April 28) was more political than anticipated, addressing specific issues at the forefront of Trump’s agenda.

King Charles’ loaded remarks at Trump Administration

On democracy

While Donald Trump is widely criticised for riding roughshod over democracy, King Charles reminded representatives of how “executive power is subject to checks and balances”, saying:

“They carried with them, and carried forward, the great inheritance of the British Enlightenment – as well as the ideals which had an even deeper history in English common law and Magna Carta. These roots run deep, and they are still vital.

“Our Declaration of Rights of 1689 was not only the foundation of our constitutional monarchy, but also provided the source of so many of the principles reiterated, often verbatim, in the American Bill of Rights of 1791.

“And those roots go even further back in our history: the US Supreme Court Historical Society has calculated that Magna Carta is cited in at least 160 Supreme Court cases since 1789, not least as the foundation of the principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances. This is the reason why there stands a stone, by the River Thames at Runnymede where Magna Carta was signed in the year 1215.

“This stone records that an acre of that ancient and historic site was given to the United States of America by the people of the United Kingdom, to symbolise our shared resolve in support of liberty, and in memory of President John F Kennedy.

“Distinguished members of the 119th Congress, it is here in these very halls that this spirit of liberty and the promise of America’s founders is present in every session and every vote cast. Not by the will of one, but by the deliberation of many, representing the living mosaic of the United States.”

On religion

Amid Donald Trump’s row with the Pope and anti-muslim comments from members of the Republican Party, The King spoke of “interfaith relationships”. He said:

“And, Mr Speaker, for many here – and for myself – the Christian faith is a firm anchor and daily inspiration that guides us not only personally, but together as members of our community.

“Having devoted a large part of my life to interfaith relationships and greater understanding, it is that faith in the triumph of light over darkness which I have found confirmed countless times.

“Through it I am inspired by the profound respect that develops as people of different faiths grow in their understanding of each other.

“It is why it is my hope – my prayer – that, in these turbulent times, working together and with our international partners, we can stem the beating of ploughshares into swords.

“I am mindful that we are still in the season of Easter, the season that most strengthens my hope.

“It is why I believe, with all my heart, that the essence of our two nations is a generosity of spirit and a duty to foster compassion, to promote peace, to deepen mutual understanding and to value all people, of all faiths, and of none.”

On WWII

The King issued a reminder of who defended the world’s freedoms, before the US joined the Allied Forces, saying:

“The first reigning British sovereign to set foot in America was my grandfather, King George VI. He visited in 1939 with my beloved grandmother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

“The forces of fascism in Europe were on the march, and some time before the United States had joined us in the defence of freedom.

“Our shared values prevailed. Today, we find ourselves in a new era, but those values remain.

On the Royal Navy

After the US President said: "You don’t even have a navy. You’re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn’t work." And the US Secretary of Defence Peter Hegseth, offered a sarcastic suggestion that the "big, bad Royal Navy" should take responsibility for securing commercial shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz, King Charles had a word or two in its defence, saying:

“The United Kingdom recognises that the threats we face demand a transformation in British defence. 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 50 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.”

On Nato and Ukraine

In recent weeks Donald Trump has made numerous disparaging remarks about the Nato alliance including calling it a ‘paper tiger’ and how it ‘wouldn’t be there for us’ if the US was attacked, King Charles reminded Congress how Nato “invoked Article Five for the first time” in response to the 9/11 attacks on the US. He said:

“This year, of course, also marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11. This atrocity was a defining moment for America and your pain and shock were felt around the whole world.

“During my visit to New York, my wife and I will again pay our respects to the victims, the families, and the bravery shown in the face of terrible loss. We stood with you then. And we stand with you now in solemn remembrance of a day that shall never be forgotten.

“In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when Nato invoked Article Five 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. It is needed in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace.”

On the rule of law

As Trump is roundly criticised for appearing to use the Department of Justice to target his political opponents, King Charle spoke of the importance of an independent judicial branch.

“The rule of law: the certainty of stable and accessible rules, an independent judiciary resolving disputes and delivering impartial justice. These features created the conditions for centuries of unmatched economic growth in our two countries.”

On climate change

Donald Trump is a renowned climate denier, branding it a “hoax” and a “con job”, so passionate environmentalist, Charles, took the opportunity to drive home his message of protecting the planet, saying:

“So as we look toward the next 250 years, we must also reflect on our shared responsibility to safeguard nature, our most precious and irreplaceable asset. Millennia before our nations existed, before any border drawn, the mountains of Scotland and Appalachia were one, a single, continuous range, forged in the ancient collision of continents.

“The natural wonders of the United States of America are indeed a unique asset, and generations of Americans have risen to this calling: indigenous, political and civic leaders, people in rural communities and cities alike, have all helped to protect and nurture what President Theodore Roosevelt called ‘the glorious heritage’ of this land’s extraordinary natural splendour, on which so much of its prosperity has always depended.

“Yet even as we celebrate the beauty that surrounds us, our generation must decide how to address the collapse of critical natural systems which threatens far more than the harmony and essential diversity of nature.

“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.

On actions speaking louder than words

With a President famed for his outspoken social media outbursts attacking everything from the Pope to Greenland, or threatening to destroy civilisations, The King reminded that words matter and actions speak even louder. He said:

“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.”