Live updates: King Charles to address Congress and meet with Trump
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Charles will speak with Trump in the Oval Office, while Queen Camilla will join first lady Melania Trump for an education event.
What to know about King Charles' visit
- ROYAL VISIT: King Charles will meet with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office this morning as part of his trip to the U.S. Queen Camilla is expected to participate in an education event with first lady Melania Trump.
- JOINT SPEECH: Charles will head to the Hill, where he will meet with congressional leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. Then, he will give a speech to both chambers of Congress.
- EPSTEIN QUESTIONS: Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is expected to host an event with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse and their families. The families had been calling for a meeting with Charles, whose brother was arrested following the release of the Epstein files. Khanna was one of the authors of the bill compelling the DOJ to release its Epstein records.
What to expect from Charles' address to Congress
Charles today will become the second-ever British monarch to address Congress.
His speech comes as he seeks to smooth over the relationship between the U.S. and the U.K., top allies that have faced some tension in recent months.
Charles’ speech is expected to last approximately 20 minutes, according to a Buckingham Palace official. Though his address was written by the U.K. government to support its strategic priorities, the language and tone is “often the king’s own,” according to the official.
At the top of his speech, Charles is expected to address Saturday’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, according to the official. The royals called the Trumps to express their concerns about the shooting after the dinner, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News yesterday.
The main theme of the speech, the Buckingham Palace official said, is that despite these challenging times the U.S. and the U.K. can defend and reaffirm their longstanding shared democratic values to create security and prosperity for themselves and the world.
The official added that the king will say that the story of the two countries over the last 250 years is one of “reconciliation and renewal,” and “of one of the greatest alliances in human history.”
The official said lawmakers can expect Charles to reference the Australia-U.K.-U.S. alliance, the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, and NATO, a frequent target of Trump's criticism.
Charles will also discuss how the U.S. and U.K. have stood together through a shared history, and how “our defense, intelligence and security ties are measured not in years but in decades.”
The king will refer to the importance of trade and technology deals between the U.S. and U.K., and will emphasize the importance of protecting “nature’s own economy.”
The queen and first lady are set to hold an educational event with U.S. students
Camilla and Melania Trump are scheduled to have a “cross-cultural educational event” with American students at the White House tennis pavilion, following the royals’ arrival ceremony in the morning.
According to the first lady’s office, the students will use virtual reality headsets to learn about the U.K., and will use artificial intelligence-enabled glasses to evaluate artifacts from the White House collection and the National Archives to learn about American history and its relationship with the U.K.
Trump greets King Charles and Queen Camilla at White House
Trump and the first lady greeted Charles and Camilla at the White House. The four posed for pictures together, with the president and king exchanging pleasantries before heading inside for tea.
Day One recap: Tea at the White House, garden party at the British embassy
Charles and Camilla started their state visit yesterday by meeting with the Trumps at the White House.
After having tea there, the royals headed to a garden party at the British ambassador’s residence in Washington. There, Charles and Camilla mingled with U.S. officials, including Cabinet members, Trump advisers and U.S. lawmakers.
Though Charles has visited the U.S. at least 19 times, this is his first visit as monarch.
