King Charles III celebrated the 250th anniversary of the U.S. during a rare royal address to Congress Tuesday.
The king cracked jokes and highlighted the longstanding shared history between the U.S. and Great Britain, while also celebrating the two nations’ close relationship. This marked the first address to Congress by a British monarch since 1991, when Queen Elizabeth II made her own address on Capitol Hill.
“For all of that time, our destinies as nations have been interlinked. As Oscar Wilde said, ‘we have nearly everything in common with America nowadays except of course, language,’” the king said, followed by laughs.
Charles added that the U.S. is a great symbol of democracy, and that both countries share the same values.
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The king further reflected on the Founding Fathers’ rebellion and the American Revolution, which he labeled as, “A Tale of Two Georges.”
“This is a city that symbolizes a period in our shared history,” Charles said. “Or what Charles Dickens might have called it, a tale of two Georges. The first president, George Washington, and my five times great grandfather King George III. King George, as you know, never set foot in America, and please rest assured I am not here as part of some cunning rearguard action. The Founding Fathers were bold, imaginative rebels with a cause.”
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The king stated that the U.S. and United Kingdom have gone from having a tense to close friendship in the last 250 years.
“The story of the United Kingdom and the United States is, at its heart, a story of reconciliation, renewal and remarkable partnership” Charles said. “From the bitter divisions of 250 years ago, we forged a friendship that has grown to one of the most consequential alliances in human history. I pray with all my heart that our alliance will continue to defend the shared values with our partners in Europe and the commonwealth and across the world.”
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The king’s unifying speech followed President Donald Trump’s clash with United Kingdom Prime Minister Kier Starmer over the Iran war. While Starmer refused to get involved in the conflict, Trump said he was unhappy by the U.K.’s lack of support for the U.S. during the conflict.
Trump also told the BBC that Starmer could only survive politically if he changed coarse on immigration and opened the North Sea.
“If he doesn’t, I don’t think he has a chance,” Trump said.
In response to Trump, Starmer said he was serving the best interests of the British people, according to the BBC.
Vice President J.D. Vance criticized Starmer in February 2025 for the U.K.’s infringements of free speech. In response to violent riots that broke out in the summer of 2024, the prime minister vowed to expand facial recognition surveillance to curb protests and violent riots and warned social media companies to combat so-called misinformation on its platforms. The U.K. has since implemented several digital speech laws that regulate what is defined as hate speech, misinformation or harmful content.
The late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk described England as a “totalitarian third world hellhole” following his visit to the country in May 2025, describing what he described as the deterioration of the nation. “It’s tragic. I don’t say that with glib, I don’t say that with delight. It is sad. Britain is why we exist. It’s like going back to the life force and it’s chilling and it’s depressing.,” Kirk said.
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