The British monarch delivered a jovial address to Washington’s leaders that was laced with plenty of shade.
King Charles III deployed the first royal address to the U.S. Congress in 35 years today — and he had plenty to say to Washington’s gathered political leadership.
His speech to a bipartisan crowd of elected officials, Supreme Court justices and U.S. military officials was delivered with trademark British understatement but was strong on subtext.
POLITICO decodes some of the key passages of the biggest public speech of the British monarch’s four-day U.S. state visit.
What he said: “In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when NATO invoked Article 5 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.”
What he meant: Don’t renege on Article 5 because the Brits were there for you when it really counted.
What he said: “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.”
What he meant: Stop dunking on the Royal Navy.
What he said: “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.”
What he meant: Trigger-happy Truth Social posts aren’t great but if you just go back to being our friends, we’ll ignore the all-caps commentary.
What he said: “The U.S. 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.”
What he meant: We gave you the tools to hold this guy to account, chaps.
What he said: “In both of our countries, it is the very fact of our vibrant, diverse and free societies that gives us our collective strength, including to support victims of some of the ills that so tragically exist in both our societies today.”
What he meant: I might not be meeting Jeffrey Epstein’s victims while I’m in town — but I am now showing that I’m not totally tone deaf.
What he said: “From the depths of the Atlantic to the disastrously melting ice-caps of the Arctic, the commitment and expertise of the United States Armed Forces and its allies lie at the heart of NATO, pledged to each other’s defense, protecting our citizens and interests, keeping North Americans and Europeans safe from our common adversaries.”
What he meant: I don’t want to hear any more about Greenland.
What he said: “We meet in times of great uncertainty; in times of conflict from Europe to the Middle East which pose immense challenges for the international community and whose impact is felt in communities the length and breadth of our own countries.”
What he meant: The Iran war is hurting the Brits (and you guys too) … and it’s going to cost a bloody fortune to heat Buckingham Palace this winter.
What he said: “I pray with all my heart that our Alliance will continue to defend our shared values, with our partners in Europe and the Commonwealth, and across the world, and that we ignore the clarion calls to become ever more inward-looking.”
What he meant: Are you guys really sure about this whole America First vibe?