A bit of Oscar Wilde here, a nod to Henry Kissinger there, a splash of Charles Dickens here, a good spoonful of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt there. Job done!
The British monarch mobilized an elite squad of dead white men, lightened by humor and subliminal politicking, on Tuesday in a charm offensive aimed at Donald Trump’s head and directly at the US Congress. Judging by the cheers and a minute’s applause he received at the end, the demonstration of “soft power” worked wonders, and the special relationship lives to fight another day.
But the king's central message - of two great nations intertwined in fate - was also an unwelcome reminder of two empires that these days seem increasingly dim, with right-wing populists on the march and the ghost of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein hovering in the shadows.
Charles became the first British monarch to address Congress almost exactly 250 years after the US denounced his fifth great-grandfather as a tyrant and declared independence. “You will return,” George III predicted in Hamilton, and yet the crickets, humidity and lack of air conditioning never sealed the deal.
What would America's founding fathers have thought seeing the direct descendant of George III speaking to their descendants? Donald Trump said at the White House on Tuesday: "They may be absolutely shocked, but maybe only for a moment. They would certainly be pleased that the wounds of war were healed in the most precious friendship."
Well, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and the rest would probably be even more shocked to discover that they now have their own crazy king in the White House. If Charles sees signs saying “No kings” during his travels, he shouldn’t take it personally.
A standing ovation for King Charles at a joint session of Congress in the House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives chamber was packed for the King's Speech. Vice President JD Vance was applauded as he entered, followed by senators and cabinet members who took prime seats near the front.
At least some people get weak at the knees at the smell of royalty. At a reception in the garden of the British embassy on Monday, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas introduced the king with excessive enthusiasm to his daughters. Perhaps that explains why Republicans adore the desired monarch in the White House.
Others had a message to deliver. Adam Schiff of California wrote on social media on Tuesday: “We have ignored and attacked the British to the point where we are at war with Iran and have no friends to be found.”
But quite predictably, the name Iran never crossed the lips of the 77-year-old Charles. Neither did Israel, nor immigration, nor climate, nor a host of other hot topics in the Trump era. Instead, the king maintained a masterful mastery of the principle of “less is more,” emphasizing shared bonds that date back long before Trump and—one hopes!—will last long after him.
Dressed in a blue suit and patterned gray tie, Charles, accompanied by Queen Camilla, entered the chamber to thunderous applause at 3:06 p.m. It was a rare sight and sound: Democrats and Republicans united, with Nancy Pelosi as enthusiastic as John Thune. Even presidents don't get such a reception when they come here to deliver the State of the Union address.
When Charles began by expressing gratitude to the Congress and the American people for “the welcome you have given us to the United States to mark this year of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence,” the hall erupted in cheers and a standing ovation in both the hall and the audience gallery—finally, here’s a man who can make Americans feel good about themselves!
The king continued: “And all this time, our destinies as nations have been intertwined. As Oscar Wilde said: ‘We really have everything in common with America today, except, of course, language!’”
There were deep, ringing laughs. Charles, raising his eyebrows, seemed pleased with the way the joke was received. A few moments later he hit the humor button again: “This is a city that symbolizes a period in our shared history, or what Charles Dickens might have called A Tale of Two Georges.”
You should have been there.
“King George has never set foot in America and, please be assured, I am not here as part of some clever backroom maneuver!” Another laugh. He was in good form!
Charles said that Magna Carta has been 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.” A jab at Trump’s authoritarian ambitions? Democrats seemed to applaud that part with particular enthusiasm.
And when the king described Congress as “not by the will of one, but by the deliberation of many,” a cry was heard from the Democrats: “All right!”
Charles continued to make some careful political jabs. He said he had served with “great pride” in the Royal Navy — the very thing Trump has recently disparaged.
The king continued: “In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time and the UN Security Council was united in the face of terror, we answered the call together.” It didn’t take much imagination to see this as a gentle rebuke to Trump attacking NATO.
And when the monarch spoke of the “unwavering resolve necessary to defend Ukraine and its very brave people,” the roar of approval in the hall may have been hard to bear for Vance, who was present.
Charles is famous as an environmentalist who talks to plants. We'll never know if his conversation with Trump reminded him of Audrey II, the man-eating monster from "Little Shop of Horrors." But in his speech to Congress, he also quoted Teddy Roosevelt when he spoke of the need to protect America's "glorious heritage" of natural beauty.
Mission accomplished. He left the hall amid handshakes and smiles. Heavy is the head that bears the crown, but thanks to a clever speechwriting and a book of quotes, the king hopefully made his message clear without provoking a fiery tirade from the mad monarch on Truth Social.
