King Charles III Addresses Joint Session of Congress, Urges Ukraine Support and NATO Unity

April 28, 2026

On April 28, 2026, King Charles III became only the second British monarch in history to address a joint session of the United States Congress, receiving 12 standing ovations. The address, delivered during a state visit timed to the 250th anniversary of American independence, was widely read as a pointed but diplomatically careful message to the Trump administration on several of its most contentious policy departures. The King called for "unyielding resolve" in support of Ukraine and urged Congress to stand firm with NATO allies, drawing a bipartisan standing ovation — notable given deep Republican divisions over continued military aid to Kyiv. He praised diversity and interfaith cooperation, highlighted the importance of checks on executive power, and invoked the shared history of the US-UK alliance through two world wars. He also referenced the WHCD shooting from three days prior, saying acts of political violence "will never succeed." While careful not to name Trump or any policy directly, analysts noted that Charles's emphasis on alliance commitments, Ukraine, and democratic norms carried unmistakable relevance to current US political debates. Trump called the speech "fantastic."