Front Royal (Virginia) —
King Charles III of England visited the United States to commemorate Britain’s defeat in the War of Independence. He left with a historic victory.
The 77-year-old monarch faced a number of potential pitfalls from a bombastic US president known for stirring up controversy and generating headlines during the worst period for US-UK relations in modern history.
But Charles showed he could disagree with the president at times and crack jokes while delivering a message of unity and celebrating the “eternal bond” with the United States as it celebrates its 250th anniversary.
In a landmark speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, Charles challenged Donald Trump on several issues that have brought the United States and Britain into conflict in recent months.
He supported the Transatlantic Alliance in the spirit of Magna Carta and spoke of the “principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances.”
He confessed that he felt the weight of history on his shoulders and knew that if he got it wrong, it could define his reign in all the wrong ways.
But he remained steadfast in emphasizing the collective strength of our long-standing alliance, saying, “Our national defense, intelligence and security ties are held together through relationships that are measured in decades, not years.”
Prince Charles ended his bold speech in Parliament, the second time the British monarch has been granted permission to do so, by reminding MPs of the “weight and meaning” of American influence.
“The actions of this great nation are even more important,” the king said. “President Lincoln understood this very well, and in his Gettysburg State of the Union Address he expressed the idea that the world may pay little attention to what we say, but it will never forget what we do.”
The speech was a high-stakes diplomatic moment, but he received a warm bipartisan reception and multiple standing ovations. Many took the remarks as a judgment on his presidency, but Trump later welcomed the speech at a lavish state dinner at the White House, saying the king “gave a great speech. I was very jealous.”
This journey has not been without its challenges. During the four-day visit, comments made by the British ambassador to Washington earlier in which he said the only country with a “special relationship” with the United States was “probably Israel” rather than Britain, briefly appearing to threaten the visit’s mission to moderate U.S.-UK relations.
Christian Turner, who took up the role earlier this year after his predecessor Peter Mandelson was sacked over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, made the remarks privately to a group of British students visiting the US in February.
“The word ‘special relationship’ is a phrase that I try not to say a lot, because it’s very nostalgic, very backwards, and has quite a kind of baggage about it,” Turner said in an audio recording. “I think there’s one country that probably has a special relationship with the United States, and that’s probably Israel.”
The recently appointed ambassador’s questioning of the transatlantic alliance the British government was trying to restore was an embarrassing moment that threatened to derail Prince Charles’ aims, but he instead persevered.
King Charles also cleverly used his visit to boost NATO at a time when President Trump has publicly denounced the alliance and made enemies across Europe. At a state dinner Tuesday night, the King reaffirmed the deep ties between the United States and Britain, tracing their roots to World War II. He highlighted how the two countries supported each other during the “darkest days” leading up to the establishment of NATO in 1949, underscoring the important role played by these post-war institutions.
“During World War II, during the darkest and most critical moments of the 20th century, America’s leaders helped rebuild a shattered continent and played a decisive role as defenders of European freedom,” the king said.
Charles also said that both countries must remain committed to supporting Ukraine as Russia enters more than four years of full-scale aggression, underscoring the importance of remaining within NATO to prevent further tensions between Europe and North America.
“Today, as freedoms are again under attack following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we and I will never forget that our partnerships in NATO and AUKUS deepen our technical and military cooperation and ensure that together we can meet the challenges of an increasingly complex and conflicted world,” the King said, also referring to the trilateral security partnership between the UK, US and Australia.
Pilgrims to the 9/11 memorial in New York on Wednesday and Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia the next day served as subtle reminders of how British people served and died alongside Americans in the name of freedom.
While Prince Charles certainly appeared to be easing tensions between President Trump and Britain, the US president continued to slam British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday over his reluctance to join the war against Iran.
President Trump had only positive things to say about the king, but suggested Charles might have made a different decision if he had been given the responsibility to make a different decision than Starmer.
“He’s a great king and a great friend of mine. If he had done that, if it was his decision, he probably would have helped us on Iran. He would have followed the recommendations we made on Ukraine,” Trump said.
Nevertheless, Trump seemed to greatly enjoy the visit, declaring Charles “the greatest king!” It’s time to say goodbye on the last day of your trip. Some time later, a parting gift came in the form of the removal of duties from Scottish whisky. Buckingham Palace responded with a statement calling it a “warm gesture”.
Before taking off from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, King Charles and Queen Camilla spent their final day in Virginia, stopping at a block party in the town of Front Royal. People began lining up for the party early Thursday morning, and the crowd cheered as the motorcade pulled into the small Virginia town.
The party included a Main Street parade, marching bands, classic British and American cars, and large crowds gathered to mingle with the royal couple. The American public who interacted with Prince Charles were clearly fascinated by the visiting monarch, with one Front Royal resident taking the opportunity to tell him: “Thank you for your address to Parliament.”
