Here's the latest
• Charles’ speech: King Charles addressed a joint meeting of Congress, marking the second time a British monarch has done so. He was welcomed with an extended standing ovation, and much of speech focused on the kinship and history between the US and the UK.
• US-UK tensions: In his speech, Charles took a moment to praise NATO, the organization the US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized for not getting involved in the conflict with Iran. Relations between the US and UK have been strained since the start of the war, after Trump criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s refusal to offer substantial military assistance.
• Earlier today: Trump and first lady Melania earlier welcomed Charles and Queen Camilla with a traditional military arrival ceremony. They will meet again this evening for a state dinner.
Some lighter moments from King Charles’ speech
In a high-stakes, often heavy speech, King Charles still took a few opportunities for humor.
Oscar Wilde remains the go-to source of aphorisms for Britons after a quick laugh. Charles began by quoting Wilde, saying: “We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language!” (That gag got a faint murmer of laughter from his audience.)
Charles then told Congress how, when he addresses his own Parliament at Westminster, they follow an age-old tradition and take a member of Parliament “hostage” – holding a lawmaker at Buckingham Palace until the monarch is safely returned.
“These days, we look after our ‘guest’ rather well – to the point that they often do not want to leave! I don’t know, Mr Speaker, if there were any volunteers for that role here today…?” Charles said. (That joke did better than the first.)
Charles also made a passing reference to how his state visit was not part of some “cunning rearguard action” to thwart America’s independence. (Congress seemed to like that one.)
The loudest laugh, however, came when the King took the chance to remind the United States that it has not been so long since the Founding Fathers declared independence. That was just 250 years ago, Charles said – “or, as we say in the United Kingdom, just the other day.” (That was probably the loudest laugh of the evening.)
King: America’s words “carry weight” and the nation’s actions “matter even more"
King Charles concluded his address to Congress by reminding lawmakers that the United States’ influence carries “weight and meaning.”
The King went on to reaffirm the relationship between the two nations as the US marks its 250th birthday.
“Let our two countries rededicate ourselves to each other in the selfless service of our peoples and of all the peoples of the world,” he said. “God bless the United States and the United Kingdom.”
King says he prays US-UK alliance will continue to "defend our shared values"
The deep relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States is one of “reconciliation, renewable and remarkable partnership,” King Charles said, and he hopes it will continue based on mutual beliefs.
“From the bitter divisions of 250 years ago, we forged a friendship that has grown into one of the most consequential alliances in human history,” the monarch told lawmakers in a joint address today before Congress.
He celebrated the history between the two countries, even though it comes during a tense time. Relations between the allies have been strained since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
King Charles argues protecting our planet is matter of national security
King Charles III brought his message of conservation to Capitol Hill, arguing to Americans that it is a matter of national security and a “shared responsibility.”
He said the United States has unique natural wonders that generations of people have worked to protect.
The King, a longtime environmentalist and advocate for sustainability, said “we ignore at our peril” that nature provides “the foundation for our prosperity and our national security.”
He also touched on the environment earlier in the speech when talking about NATO, saying the alliance spans as far as “the disastrously melting ice caps of the Arctic.”
A point of contention: President Donald Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” philosophy is the sort of policy King Charles has railed against for decades. While the King is a devotee of wind farms, Trump abhors them. He complained last year that the wind farms off the coast of his Turnberry golf course were not only an eyesore, but “driving the whales loco.”
King quotes Trump praising the special bond during recent UK visit
The King has taken a moment to quote President Donald Trump in his speech, reminding the Congress that it was the US leader himself who praised the friendship between the two nations – just months before vilifying the UK and its government for not providing significant military assistance for the war in Iran.
Ukraine and its "most courageous people" get a nod from the King
The mention of Ukraine and the support it needs to defend itself from Russia’s unprovoked aggression were another of the King’s messages to President Donald Trump, who has stopped most military aid to Kyiv since returning to the White House in January 2025.
Charles told Congress that the same “unyielding resolve” that Americans and Brits showed “through two World Wars, the Cold War, Afghanistan and moments that have defined our shared security” was “needed for the defense of Ukraine and her most courageous people – in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace.”
The mention of Ukraine got a large standing ovation from many in the chamber.
King Charles meets a very bipartisan response inside the House chamber
King Charles is getting something unusual in this bitterly divided Congress: A very warm and bipartisan reception.
This is a far cry from the response presidents in both parties usually get when they enter the House chamber to speak during their State of the Union addresses. And in recent years, those presidential addresses have been filled with taunting, heckling, silent and not-so-silent protests — and the occasional member booted from the chamber.
This time, members from both chambers are listening intently and also laughing at the king’s jokes. Both sides are cheering and giving standing ovations — something rarely seen nowadays when partisan ovations tend to dominate.
King reminds Americans NATO was there for them in a moment of need
King Charles used a portion of the speech to praise NATO and the role the defence alliance has played in protecting their citizens and interests.
The British monarch specifically mentioned 9/11 being the first time that NATO invoked its Article 5, which says that an attack on any one of the alliance’s member is an attack on all.
The comments from Charles come after President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized NATO for not getting involved in the conflict with Iran, even threatening to withdraw the US from the organization.
“The commitment and expertise of the United States Armed Forces and its allies lie at the heart of NATO, pledged to each other’s defence, protecting our citizens and interests, keeping North Americans and Europeans safe from our common adversaries,” Charles said.
King Charles recalls Queen Elizabeth II’s 1991 Congress address in speech
King Charles opened his address to Congress with a personal touch, remembering his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II
He also praised US lawmakers. “So, I come here today with the highest respect for the United States Congress; this citadel of democracy created to represent the voice of all American people to advance sacred rights and freedoms,” the King said.
He later added that today’s address is a “great occasion in the life of our Nations to express the highest regard and friendship of the British people to the people of the United States.”
“Acts of violence will never succeed,” Charles says of shooting at correspondents’ dinner
King Charles began his address to Congress by referencing the “incident not far from this great building” – the Saturday night shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
The King said the shooting “sought to harm the leadership of your nation and to foment wider fear and discord.”
“Let me say with unshakeable resolve: such acts of violence will never succeed,” the King said. “Whatever our differences, whatever disagreements we may have, we stand united in our commitment to uphold democracy, to protect all our people from harm, and to salute the courage of those who daily risk their lives in the service of our countries.”
Coming just two days before King Charles and Queen Camilla were set to arrive in the US, the shooting briefly threatened to derail the planned four-day state visit. President Donald Trump later insisted that the royal couple would be “very safe” while in the US.
On Monday, Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect in the shooting, made his first court appearance and was charged with attempting to assassinate the president.
NOW: King Charles begins his speech to Congress
King Charles’ address to Congress is underway.
The monarch acknowledged that his state visit to the United States comes at a time of “great uncertainty,” with conflicts raging in Europe and the Middle East.
The monarch is also expected to emphasize the long history and democratic values his country shares with the United States, delivered while relations between the two nations are at an unusually low ebb.
He was welcomed in the chamber with a long applause and a standing ovation.
We’ll bring you more as we get it.
Vice President JD Vance leads senators to the House chamber
US Vice President JD Vance led senators to the House chamber ahead of King Charles’ speech to Congress.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson and the chamber applauded as Vance and the their colleagues made their way in for the joint meeting.
Vance and Johnson exchanged a handshake upon meeting on the dais.
Moments from King Charles' arrival on Capitol Hill ahead of his speech
King Charles has arrived at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, ahead of his address to a joint meeting of Congress. He first met House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Then, the British monarch met the Congressional “Big Four,” which includes Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
A look back at Queen Elizabeth II’s 1991 address to Congress
The last time a reigning British monarch addressed a joint session of Congress, the world had been rocked by war in the Gulf. That time, however, the United States and Britain saw eye-to-eye on the conflict.
She was speaking shortly after the end of the Gulf War, which the US – as part of an alliance comprising 39 nations – waged against Iraq in response to its invasion of Kuwait.
Today’s Gulf War could not be more different. In concert with Israel, the US attacked Iran without consulting its allies. President Donald Trump has since, however, berated those same allies for not assisting the US military – particularly in its efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran effectively closed after the war began.
Keir Starmer has borne the brunt of the president’s ire. Trump has belittled Britain’s prime minister, saying he was “no Churchill” and comparing him instead to Neville Chamberlain, a previous British leader who appeased Hitler.
Trump’s spat with Starmer could pose a problem for King Charles, who is set to address Congress shortly. His address is expected to acknowledge the recent tensions between the two countries over Trump’s war with Iran – before focusing on the common “democratic, legal and social traditions” the old allies share.
King Charles' upcoming address to Congress was months in the making
King Charles’ historic speech to the US Congress today has been months in the making, going through various layers of approval. The speech was also tweaked as the royals flew to the United States.
CNN’s Max Foster reports on what to expect in the King’s address:
King Charles’ historic speech to the US Congress today has been months in the making, going through various layers of approval. CNN’s Max Foster reports from the White House on what to expect in the King’s address.
Speaker Johnson welcomes King Charles to Capitol Hill
House Speaker Mike Johnson has welcomed King Charles in the Speaker’s Office Hallway, ahead of the monarch’s address to the joint meeting of Congress.
Earlier, Johnson said he was looking forward to welcoming Charles to the Capitol for his “historic” address. Charles’ address will be the first by a reigning British monarch since his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, spoke to Congress in 1991.
Johnson briefly met the King last night, at a garden party at the residence of the British ambassador to Washington.
“We’re so happy to have you,” Johnson told Charles Monday evening. He said it had been his “great honor” to address Britain’s parliament earlier this year – the the first US House Speaker to do so.
In his speech to parliament, Johnson said that touring the 1,000-year-old Windsor Castle helped “put in perspective” that the 250 years since America declared independence “is not a long span of time in the scale of human history.”
During a dinner at parliament, Johnson said one of his hosts had joked that on the table were “items of silverware older than my country.”
See inside the Oval Office during King's high-stakes visit
King Charles and President Donald Trump held a private meeting in the Oval Office earlier today – a moment many in the United Kingdom were hoping would help ease the tensions that built up between the two nations in recent weeks.
Trump has repeatedly criticised the UK and its Prime Minister Keir Starmer for refusing to offer substantial military assistance in the conflict with Iran.
The monarch does not get involved in politics, but he is in the US on the advice of the government and is tasked in acting in the interest of his people. Given Trump’s known affection for the British royals, Starmer and his government are hoping Charles can smooth things over.
First lady and queen view historical artifacts — with a modern twist
First lady Melania Trump and Queen Camilla’s spousal outing on Tuesday featured historical artifacts, with a modern twist.
As their husbands met privately, the first lady and the queen joined a dozen local middle school students at the White House tennis pavilion for an event highlighting the use of technology in education — including virtual reality headsets and Meta sunglasses.
On one side of the tennis court, they observed a tablet showing what what the children could see in their headsets: landmarks of the United Kingdom, including Snowdonia, Stonehenge and Buckingham Palace.
On the other side, children wore AI-enabled sunglasses that enhanced a series of artifacts curated by the first lady — a bust of Prime Minister Winston Churchill; a portrait of President John Adams, who was also the first US ambassador to the United Kingdom; and blue and white Staffordshire ceramic ware.
After Trump briefly put on her own set of sunglasses, a student inquired with Camilla if she was interested in doing the same — underscoring the off-script moments that can happen when children are involved in diplomatic events.
“You want to try these?” the boy asked the queen, removing his glasses, to which she shook her head with a polite “no.”
King and queen exchange pieces of history and jewelry with Trumps
King Charles and Queen Camilla are exchanging gifts of UK-US history with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, as well as a futuristically crafted piece of jewelry.
Charles is presenting the president with “a framed facsimile of the 1879 design plans for the Resolute Desk,” according to a release from Buckingham Palace. The desk, which sits in the Oval Office, was crafted from the British exploration ship H.M.S. Resolute.
Trump is giving the king “a custom facsimile of a letter written from John Adams to John Jay in 1785,” according to the same release. In the letter, Adams describes his reception as the first US ambassador to Great Britain, where King George III said that “although he was ‘the last to consent to the separation,’ he would be the first to meet U.S. friendship.”
The queen is gifting the first lady a brooch from British jewelry designer Fiona Rae, whose work, the palace notes, is a “fusion of traditional craft skills alongside the latest developments in technology and computer-aided design” — a possible nod to Melania Trump’s interest in AI and advancing technologies.
And the first lady is giving the queen six Tiffany’s teaspoons from the “English King Sterling Silver” collection, along with a jar of White House honey — a reflection of Camilla’s interest in beekeeping. Blair House chose this flatware pattern in 1987 for hosting heads of state and dignitaries.
US lawmaker says he expects King Charles to address Epstein survivors in his speech today
US Rep. Ro Khanna said he expects King Charles to address the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein during his address to Congress today – though the palace has not confirmed he will do so.
“I met with the British ambassador. The British ambassador has suggested that the king will acknowledge the Epstein survivors in his address to Congress today,” Khanna, a California Democrat, said.
“I hope his flunkies don’t take out the acknowledgement from his text and I fully expect the king to be acknowledging the survivors and the Epstein survivors when he speaks to our nation and Congress this afternoon,” Khanna said.
The palace has not indicated publicly that Charles will address Epstein survivors in his remarks set for this afternoon.
CNN has reached out to the British embassy for comment.
Khanna, who was behind the push to release the Epstein files publicly, is convening survivors of the late sex offender’s abuse for a roundtable Tuesday to give them an opportunity to share their stories ahead of the king’s visit to Capitol Hill.
The California Democrat previously requested that the king meet with the survivors directly.
“I thought the king owed that to the survivors given his brother’s serious allegations of abuse, and I thought it would have been an incredible moment and statement to show that it doesn’t matter how much wealth you have, how much power you have, no human being is dispensable,” Khanna said. “The survivors deserve justice.”
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has previously denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein and said that he never witnessed or suspected any of the behavior of which the sex offender was accused.
CNN’s Dalia Abdelwahab contributed to this report.
This post has been updated with additional information.
