Virendra Pandit
New Delhi:For years, he has been roasting world leaders left, right, and centre. Now it was his turn. In his own country. At his own official residence: the White House, no less.
The United Kingdom’s monarch, King Charles III, roasted US President Donald Trump in the White House on Tuesday in a very unusual way, reminding him of history, that without the British intervention, the Americans would have remained French subjects, and speaking the French language.
As if it were not enough, addressing the US Congress, the monarch called on the US to maintain its leadership role in the world, and to support Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in a remarkably pointed speech for a King who urged Americans to resist the pull of isolationism, the media reported on Wednesday.
In the first address to a joint session of US Congress by a British monarch in over three decades, he argued for preserving the alliance between the UK and US. He appealed to the shared heritage between the two nations, sprinkling his remarks with references to culture, religion and principles behind America’s decision to declare independence 250 years ago.
“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,” Charles told the assembled lawmakers, with Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson seated behind him.
The relationship between the two countries has fallen to its lowest level in decades amid a messy public feud between President Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Trump has criticized and insulted Starmer — with whom he previously shared a warm relationship — before they split over the ongoing war in Iran and Trump’s threats about annexing Greenland.
The King’s speech on Capitol Hill came on the second day of his four-day state visit, that has thrust him into an unusually prominent diplomatic role. While his words were carefully measured, his message at several points — including on supporting NATO and Ukraine, as well as calls for environmental stewardship — could be read as an implicit critique of Trump administration’s policies.
The King’s remarks — during which he was repeatedly interrupted by applause — stressed the durability of a relationship that began with a revolution. “With the spirit of 1776 in our minds, we can perhaps agree that we do not always agree — at least in the first instance,” Charles said.
He mentioned how the United Nations and NATO had come to America’s defense after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and cited the UK’s “shoulder-to-shoulder” cooperation with the US through two World Wars.
Charles argued that the partnership between Europe and America was “more important today than it has ever been.” He said that “unyielding resolve is needed for the defense of Ukraine and her most courageous people – in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace,” echoing his remarks to Trump in September 2025.
Even the King’s references to history could be received by an American audience as veiled warnings, intentional or not, the reports said.
His exhortation about the need for an independent judiciary stands in contrast to the President’s frequent criticisms of judges and Supreme Court justices who rule against his own wishes.
While Charles didn’t refer to Iran specifically, he cited “times of conflict from Europe to the Middle East,” which he warned poses “immense challenges for the international community and whose impact is felt in communities the length and breadth of our own countries.” Europe is currently grappling with an energy price shock as well as a looming jet fuel crisis that threatens summer air travel.
Before Charles, his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, had addressed the joint session of US Congress in 1991 and got a standing ovation from the American lawmakers assembled at the Capitol.
In that speech, she referenced the Gulf War — although the UK government supported that US intervention, unlike the recent conflict in Iran where Britain opted out of aiding the initial strikes.
Charles, who typically remains above day-to-day politics, has, however, shown a greater willingness than his mother to wade into contentious waters. Last year, he traveled to Canada to declare that nation as sovereign and free in a speech to its parliament following Trump’s taunts about making that country the ’51st state’ of the USA.
The French Connexion
King Charles III delivered a light-hearted yet sharp-witted history lesson at the White House dinner on Tuesday, playfully roasting Trump by suggesting that, without British intervention in North America, Americans might well be speaking French.
“You recently commented, Mr President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German. Dare I say that if it wasn’t for us, you’d be speaking French,” King Charles III said, drawing loud laughter from the audience.
He was referring to the colonial-era rivalry between Britain and France in North America, long before US independence, when the two European powers battled for territorial dominance across the continent.
The quip also nods to Trump’s remarks at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in January, where he said that without American intervention in World War II, European powers would be “speaking German and a little Japanese.”
Charles continued with a series of self-deprecating jokes, including a reference to British troops burning down parts of the White House during the Burning of Washington in 1814. “We British, of course, made our own attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House,” he said, drawing laughter from guests.
He also quipped that the evening marked “a very considerable improvement on the Boston Tea Party,” referencing the historic protest against British taxation.
The British King marked the 250th anniversary of American independence from Britain with gratitude that the two countries united to build “one of the most consequential alliances in human history” while urging “that we ignore the clarion calls to become ever more inward-looking.”
Trump’s comments
Trump, who has admired the British monarchy, hosted Charles at a state banquet after the speech.
“In the centuries since we won our independence, Americans have had no closer friends than the British,” Trump said, and called Charles a “blessing” to the two countries’ relationship, predicting, “I am very certain that it will continue that way long into the future.”
Charles earlier attended a greeting ceremony hosted by Trump on the South Lawn of the White House. Trump at times veered from his script to praise Charles, recalling how his Scottish-born mother watched the royal as a young man during televised ceremonies. “My mother had a crush on Charles,” the President said.
Trump commented with humor of his own, largely aimed at domestic politics. He congratulated the king on his earlier address to Congress, joking, “He got the Democrats to stand — I’ve never been able to do that.”
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