King Charles III will meet with Trump, speak to Congress about the visit of the US – National
King Charles III will host some of the official ceremonies in Washington on Tuesday as he tries to reinforce the relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States that is strong enough to withstand the current political turmoil.
She will be the first British monarch to address the US Congress since her mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1991. His speech highlighted the shared history of both countries and the importance of their democratic values, themes that Charles is likely to reinforce on Tuesday.
Such addresses are an opportunity given only to prominent world leaders, including Pope Francis, Václav Havel and Winston Churchill. It could mark the most extensive public speeches Charles will deliver during a four-day visit to the US aimed at marking the 250th anniversary of the country’s independence from Britain.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., became the first sitting leader to address the UK Parliament earlier this year. He attended a garden party with the king in Washington on Monday and said he told him he would be “well received” in Congress.
The king, accompanied by Queen Camilla, will start his day with a meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump. The Oval Office gathering provides an opportunity for the free-flowing, sometimes confrontational meetings with foreign leaders that have become the norm during Trump’s second term.
But it will be closed to the public, and, given the clear nature of the British king and Trump’s preference for the royal family, the chances of a negative meeting can be reduced. Trump will host Charles on Tuesday evening at a state banquet at the White House.
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The visit comes at a challenging time for US-UK relations. Trump’s up-and-down relationship with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has soured over the past few months as the Republican president seeks to drum up international support for the war on Iran. Trump criticized Starmer, who has strongly opposed his allegations, saying “this is not Winston Churchill we are dealing with.”
Trump has also imposed tariffs on the UK and warned of more despite a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that made the joint measures more difficult. Trump threatened last week to hit the UK “big money” if it does not repeal the digital services tax on US tech companies.
Trump has broadly challenged the traditional trans-Atlantic alliance with efforts to annex Greenland and threats to move away from NATO. He has repeatedly imposed tariffs and mocked Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth.
Meanwhile, Charles has faced some calls on Capitol Hill to meet with Jeffrey Epstein’s victims while in the U.S. There is no indication that he will do so since the scandal involving a convicted sex offender has ensnared his brother, who was arrested in February on allegations of misconduct, which he denies.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., urged the king over the weekend to at least address the issue during his speech at the conference.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York blamed Republican policies on Monday for straining US-UK relations.
“We hope that the king’s visit will go a long way in repairing the damage caused by this government to one of our most important helpers in the world,” said Jeffries.
Charles and Camilla arrived in the nation’s capital on Monday to hold tea with the president and first lady Melania Trump. The royal couple will continue their American tour later this week with stops in New York City and Virginia.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
