King Charles III will address both chambers of the American Congress during his state visit to the United States at the end of April, Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday. This rare event will only be the second time in history that a British monarch has spoken before Congress, with the last time being in 1991 when Queen Elizabeth II, Charles’s mother, delivered a speech at the Capitol.
The royal visit of Charles III, scheduled from April 27 to 30 to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, comes amid tensions between Washington and London over the Middle East conflict. Some lawmakers in the UK had called for the visit to be cancelled.
“This visit will be an opportunity to highlight the shared history of our two nations, the breadth of relations, and the deep ties that unite our peoples,” a statement from Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday.
While the US and UK have a historic “special relationship,” President Donald Trump has recently criticized his British ally, especially Prime Minister Keir Starmer, for not supporting the American-Israeli offensive against Iran.
Leader of the Labour Party, Starmer defended the importance of the royal visit, emphasizing the significance of the relationship between the two countries.
The visit also comes as Charles III faces repercussions from the Jeffrey Epstein affair, which led to the arrest of his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in February for allegedly providing confidential information to the American pedophile and financier in 2019.
Members of Virginia Giuffre’s family, a key accuser of Epstein, have urged the king to meet with victims of the sex offender during his visit. However, the Buckingham Palace’s provided program does not mention such a meeting.
The royal source indicated to the Press Association that such a meeting was simply “not possible” as it could “hinder ongoing investigations or the smooth running of justice.”
The visit will include a private meeting with Donald and Melania Trump in Washington, followed by a garden party. It will also feature a military ceremony, a meeting between Charles III and President Trump, and a state dinner at the White House.
Afterwards, Charles and Camilla will travel to New York to pay tribute to the victims of the 9/11 attacks before heading to Virginia. They will then visit the British overseas territory of Bermuda until May 2.
