King Charles charms America and avoids pitfalls during his four-day whirlwind US tour

By Max Foster, Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN

Front Royal, Virginia (CNN) — King Charles III came to the United States to mark Britain’s loss in the war of independence. He left with an historic win.

The 77-year-old monarch faced a number of possible pitfalls from a bombastic US president known for creating controversy and generating headlines at the lowest moment for US-UK relations in modern history.

But Charles showed he could deliver a message of unity and celebrate the “eternal bond” with America as it marks its 250th birthday, while at times disagreeing with its president and even cracking a few jokes.

In his landmark speech to a joint meeting of US Congress on Tuesday, Charles challenged Donald Trump on several issues that the US and United Kingdom have clashed over in recent months.

Sticking up for the transatlantic alliance, in the spirit of Magna Carta, he spoke of “the principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances.”

He confessed to feeling the weight of history on his shoulders, knowing that if he got it wrong, it could have defined his reign in all the wrong ways.

But he remained resolute in emphasizing the collective strength of the long-standing alliance, saying: “Our defense, intelligence and security ties are hardwired together through relationships measured not in years, but in decades.”

Charles concluded his bold address to Congress – only the second time a British monarch has been allowed to do so – by reminding lawmakers of the “weight and meaning” that the United States’ influence carries.

“The actions of this great nation matter even more,” the King said. “President Lincoln understood this so well, with his reflection in the magisterial Gettysburg Address that the world may little note what we say but will never forget what we do.”

The speech was a high-stakes diplomatic moment, but he was met with a warm and bipartisan reception and received several standing ovations. Many read it as a judgment on the presidency, but Trump heralded the speech at a grand state dinner at the White House later, saying the King had “made a great speech. I was very jealous.”

The trip wasn’t without its challenges. During the four-day visit, it was revealed that Britain’s ambassador to Washington had previously said the only country that has a “special relationship” with the US was “probably Israel,” rather than Britain, in leaked comments which briefly seemed to threaten the visit’s mission of soothing US-UK ties.

Christian Turner, who took on the role earlier this year after his predecessor Peter Mandelson was sacked over his association with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, made the remarks privately to a group of British students visiting the US in February.

“‘Special relationship’ is a phrase I try not to utter because it’s quite nostalgic, it’s quite backwards-looking, and it has a lot of sort of baggage about it,” Turner said in the audio recording. “I think there is probably one country that has a special relationship with the United States – and that is probably Israel.”

For the recently appointed ambassador to have cast doubt on the transatlantic alliance which the British government is trying to restore was an embarrassing moment that threatened to derail Charles’ objectives, but instead he soldiered on.

King Charles also used his visit subtly to boost NATO at a time when Trump has publicly lambasted the alliance and made enemies across Europe. At the state dinner on Tuesday evening, the King reaffirmed the deep bonds between the US and UK, tracing their roots to World War II. He highlighted how both nations have supported each other in their “darkest days,” culminating in the establishment of NATO in 1949, and emphasized the vital role these post-war institutions play.

“During World War II, at a most critical time in the darkest days of the 20th century, American leadership helped rebuild a shattered continent, playing a decisive role as a defender of freedom in Europe,” the King said.

Charles also said both nations must remain committed to supporting Ukraine as Russia’s full-scale invasion surpasses four years, and underscored how staying within NATO is significant to prevent further tensions between Europe and North America.

“We and I shall never forget that, nor least, not least as freedom is again under attack following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine today, our partnerships in NATO and AUKUS deepen our technological and military cooperation and ensure that together we can meet the challenges of an increasingly complex and contested world,” the King said, also referencing the trilateral security partnership between the UK, US and Australia.

Wednesday’s pilgrimage to the 9/11 memorial in New York and Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia a day later were two subtle reminders of how the British have served and died alongside their American counterparts in the name of freedom.

While Charles certainly appeared to be softening Britain’s tensions with Trump, the US president continued to take swipes at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his reluctance to join in the war against Iran on Thursday.

Trump had only positive things to say about the King, but suggested Charles might have made different decisions than Starmer if he were in charge of making them.

“He’s a great king, and he’s a great friend of mine. And I think if he were doing that, if that were up to him, he would have probably helped us with Iran. He would have followed the suggestions we made with respect to Ukraine,” Trump said.

Regardless, Trump seemed to revel in the visit, proclaiming Charles “the greatest king!” during their farewells on the final day of the trip. A short time later, a parting gift came in the form of removing tariffs from some Scottish whisky. Buckingham Palace responded in a statement calling it a “warm gesture.”

Before taking off from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, King Charles and Queen Camilla spent their final day in Virginia, stopping by a block party in the town of Front Royal. People had started lining up for the party early Thursday, and the crowds cheered as the motorcade drove into the small Virginia town.

The party included a parade down Main Street, a marching band and classic British and American cars, with masses turning out to mingle with the royal couple. The American people with whom Charles interacted were clearly charmed by the visiting monarch, with one resident of Front Royal taking the opportunity to tell him: “Thank you for your congressional address.”

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

CNN’s Kevin Liptak, Ivana Kottasova and Christian Edwards contributed to this story.