Lead

King Charles III delivered a historic address to the US Congress on Tuesday, a speech that was as much about celebrating the enduring ties between the United States and the United Kingdom as it was about navigating the current strains in that relationship. The king, the first British monarch to address Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991, leaned heavily on the notion of the 'special relationship' between the two nations, while also touching on NATO, climate change, and the need for global cooperation.

President Donald Trump did not attend the speech, citing protocol, but he watched remotely, according to reports. At an earlier White House welcome ceremony, Trump told the king he 'would love to go' but was advised it might be 'a step too far.'

Coverage comparison

Coverage of the speech varied across outlets, with some focusing on the king's unifying themes and others highlighting the more pointed undertones.

ABC Australia reported that the speech focused on the 'special relationship' and included mentions of NATO and the need for collective action. Al Jazeera and the BBC similarly emphasised the king's calls for global cooperation and his praise for the NATO alliance. The Guardian noted that the speech was interpreted differently by UK and US media, with some outlets, including the New York Times and the Washington Post, highlighting subtle rebukes to Trump.

According to the BBC, the king's address was seen as a 'rescue mission' aimed at easing tensions between the US and UK, which have been strained by British reluctance to fully back the joint US-Israeli war against Iran. The Guardian's coverage quoted US media interpretations, with the New York Times describing 'subtle rebuttals to Trump' beneath the jokes and decorum, and the Washington Post focusing on the king's calls for checks on executive power.

Key claims

  • King Charles III delivered a speech to the US Congress, focusing on the 'special relationship' between the US and the UK, as reported by ABC Australia, Al Jazeera, BBC, and The Guardian.
  • The king mentioned the importance of NATO and the need for collective action, a point carried by multiple sources.
  • He also touched on climate change and the need for global cooperation, according to several reports.
  • President Donald Trump did not attend the speech due to protocol but watched remotely, a detail reported by ABC Australia.
  • The speech was widely seen as an attempt to ease tensions between the US and UK, a framing shared by ABC Australia, Al Jazeera, BBC, and The Guardian.
  • The king did not mention Jeffrey Epstein or his survivors in his speech, a fact noted by multiple sources, including Al Jazeera, which ran a related story about the Giuffre family urging the king to meet Epstein survivors.

Perspectives

US media (New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times): These outlets, as cited in The Guardian's coverage, focused on the more pointed elements of the speech, such as the king's calls for checks on executive power, his support for Ukraine and NATO, and his emphasis on democratic norms. They saw the address as containing subtle rebukes to President Trump's policies.

UK media (BBC, The Guardian): British outlets tended to frame the speech as a diplomatic effort to repair strained relations, highlighting the king's charm offensive and his hopes for 'reconciliation and renewal' in the US-UK partnership.

President Donald Trump: In remarks after a White House meeting, Trump praised the king as 'a fantastic person' and described the royal couple as 'incredible people,' expressing that it was 'a real honour' to host them. He did not attend the speech but watched remotely.