King Charles Highlights U.S.-U.K. Alliance Despite Strains
King Charles III is set to acknowledge tensions between London and the Trump administration while emphasizing the enduring U.S.-U.K. relationship in remarks to a joint meeting of Congress on Tuesday.
According to a Buckingham Palace preview first reported by The New York Times, the king will say “the two countries have always found ways to come together.”
He will describe the past 250 years as a period of “reconciliation and renewal,” creating “one of the greatest alliances in human history.” Charles is also expected to highlight global challenges and stress the importance of defending shared democratic values to promote security and prosperity worldwide.
The king will point to joint efforts in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as cooperation through NATO and the AUKUS submarine pact with Australia and the United States.
Charles and Queen Camilla are visiting Washington to mark the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence and to help ease tensions between President Trump and the British government.
Relations have been strained over the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, with Trump criticizing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for what he sees as a lack of support.
The U.K. and other European allies have provided defensive aid and access to air bases during the more than two-month conflict but have avoided offensive operations due to legal concerns and public backlash.
Meanwhile, Britain and France are leading efforts to secure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian mines and threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have disrupted shipping. Trump has also imposed a blockade on Iranian vessels in the waterway.
