The US-UK relationship

King Charles urges unity and support for Ukraine in speech to the US Congress

Britain's King Charles has spoken before the US Congress, the first British monarch to do so since his mother Queen Elizabeth in 1991.

The king was met with repeated standing ovations and brought down several laughs with his jokes, including an Oscar Wilde quote:

- We have almost everything in common with the US except language.

He also condemned the shooting at the correspondents' dinner in Washington DC.

“Such acts of violence will never succeed,” he said to cheers from Congress.

The king called the bond between the United States and Britain “priceless, eternal, irreplaceable and indestructible.” The transatlantic partnership is more important than ever in today’s turbulent times, he added.

He also stressed the importance of continued support for Ukraine.

“It is needed to ensure a just and lasting peace.” 

Trump: King Charles does not want Iran to have nuclear weapons

King Charles does not want Iran to have nuclear weapons, Donald Trump claims in a statement after a dinner with the regent.

– Charles agrees with me even more than I do. We will never let that adversary acquire nuclear weapons, says the US president according to CBS News.

According to the channel, Trump did not explicitly say that it was about the Iran war, but that it was implied. King Charles himself has not publicly expressed his opinion on the matter. 

Analysis: Congress listened breathlessly to politically charged royal speech

It is clear how much respect US congressmen have for King Charles, writes the BBC's Shaimaa Khalil, who was present in the chamber.

The cheerful atmosphere turned to mute amazement when the king entered. The members listened breathlessly to his every word and laughed at every joke, she continues.

"At one point the king said that 'the word of the United States carries weight'. Then I could hear people murmuring 'yes' and 'mm' in the audience," she writes.

Sky News's court correspondent Laura Bundock has listened to King Charles' speeches in Germany, France and Canada. Today's speech stood out, she says.

- This was one of the most political speeches I have heard the king make.

Between the lines, it was clear that the king reminded Trump of Britain's role in NATO, after Trump threatened to pull the US out of the alliance and insulted the British military, writes Connor Stringer for The Telegraph.

SVT's Carl Fridh Kleberg is on the same track.

- The common thread throughout the speech was absolute unity between Britain and the US, but also between Europe and the US, he says.

Joking about Coke and ballroom – success for Charles, unexpectedly daring joke for Trump

The state dinner at the White House with Donald Trump was a success for King Charles, several media outlets note. The British monarch offered several unexpectedly daring jokes during his speech: he toasted Coca-Cola (Trump's favorite drink), joked about the president's famous ballroom and delivered several sly remarks with references to World War II.

- You recently commented, Mr. President, that if it weren't for the United States, European countries would speak German. I dare say that if it weren't for us, you would speak French, said Charles, whereupon the room was filled with laughter and applause.

Charles also presented a gift in the form of a large ship's bell that had been on a British submarine during World War II. To the president's great delight, the bell was etched with "Trump 1944". It turned out that there was a submarine named HMS Trump that participated in the Pacific War. Trump was reportedly visibly moved by the king’s gesture and turned to Melania with the words: “Do you see that, darling?”

King Charles delivered what could only be described as a masterful display of Trump diplomacy, writes a reporter for the New York Times.