The New York Times: King to speak of ‘reconciliation and renewal’ during historic Washington address

King Charles III of Britain will acknowledge on Tuesday that his country has had its differences with the United States, but he plans to tell a joint session of US Congress that the “two countries have always found ways to come together,” according to a preview of his remarks by Buckingham Palace.

The King’s speech is a centrepiece of his first visit to the former colonies as Britain’s monarch.

It comes at a fraught time for the relationship between the two governments, with President Donald Trump mocking Prime Minister Keir Starmer for refusing to join the war in Iran.

But in his speech, the King plans to say that the story of the two countries over the past 250 years has been marked by “reconciliation and renewal,” and has produced what he will call “one of the greatest alliances in human history.”

The King and Queen Camilla began planning for their American trip months before the tensions emerged between Trump and Starmer. And British officials and representatives of Buckingham Palace have repeatedly said the King does not get involved in day-to-day politics or foreign policy.

But privately, officials have said they are hopeful that the core message in the King’s speech might help to soothe tensions between the president and the prime minister. The palace said he will argue that shared democratic values are woven deeply into the fabric of both countries.

Palace officials said the King will briefly reference the shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday, offering sympathy to Trump and those who attended.

But he will focus on the things the United States and Britain have done together. In particular, palace officials said, he will speak about cooperation in the Middle East and Ukraine and will take note of the NATO defence pact and the submarine partnership with Australia and the United States.

Trump has been particularly brutal in his assessment of the British Navy, calling the country’s battleships “toys.” The palace said the king will speak with particular pride about the Royal Navy and its successes.

Trump has said he is a fan of the royals, often citing the fact that when he was six, he watched the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

The royal couple’s arrival at Joint Base Andrews kicked off two days of pomp and circumstance in Washington. The king, dressed in a blue suit, and the queen, wearing a pink coat dress, listened as the U.S. military band played the national anthems of Britain and the United States.

The King and Queen were greeted by the State Department’s top official in charge of protocol. They walked through an honour cordon of U.S. military personnel before heading to the White House for their first formal stop.

There, the royal couple met briefly with Trump and Melania Trump, the first lady, and viewed a new White House beehive.

The hive, on the South Lawn, is shaped like a miniature White House and is the home for two new bee colonies. Melania Trump last week unveiled the latest work of presidential apiculture, the science of maintaining honey bee colonies for pollination, honey production and wax.

The first official White House bee colonies were installed in 2009 by Michelle Obama, the first lady at the time. The bees supported pollination of the White House vegetable garden that Obama created as part of her push for healthy eating.

Hives installed by Obama support as many as 70,000 bees during peak summer months, according to the White House, and can produce up to 100kg of honey a year. The Trump administration said Melania Trump’s new hive could increase production to over 115kg pounds of honey annually.

The visit to the White House beehive is a nod to the king’s long-standing interest in environmental issues and conservation.

There are four beehives in the gardens around Buckingham Palace and two more outside Clarence House, the official residence of the royal couple. The official royal website notes that the queen produces honey that is sold at the store Fortnum & Mason to raise money for charity.

Monday’s events concluded with a garden party for the king and queen at the British Embassy. The guest list included White House officials such as Stephen Miller, the deputy chief of staff, and his wife, Katie Miller; House Speaker Mike Johnson; and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

The president and the king will have a private meeting Tuesday (US time) before the king addresses Congress in the afternoon. Trump will host a state banquet for the royal couple on Tuesday evening.

The King and Queen will head to New York City on Wednesday morning, where they will lay a wreath at the September 11 memorial and participate in a gala that evening. The king will also visit a youth organization in Harlem, and the queen will participate in an event at the New York Public Library.

On Thursday, the royal couple will lay a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery and will travel to rural parts of Virginia.