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Congressional Daily Record
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April 28, 2026
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Download official House Record PDFReturn to issue contextJOINT MEETING TO HEAR AN ADDRESS BY HIS MAJESTY KING CHARLES III OF THE
UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
The Assistant Sergeant at Arms of Protocol and Special Events, Mrs. Seton Gardner, announced the Vice President and Members of the U.S. Senate, who entered the Hall of the House of Representatives, the Vice President taking the chair at the right of the Speaker, and the Members of the Senate the seats reserved for them.
The SPEAKER. The joint meeting will come to order.
House to escort His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland into the Chamber:
The gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise);
The gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Emmer);
The gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. McClain);
The gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson);
The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Reschenthaler);
The gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte);
The gentleman from Utah (Mr. Moore);
The gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Houchin);
The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast);
The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta);
The gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson);
The gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Rouzer);
The gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries);
The gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark);
The gentleman from California (Mr. Aguilar);
The gentleman from California (Mr. Lieu);
The gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse);
The gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. DelBene);
The gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi);
The gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer);
The gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks);
The gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Himes);
The gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Crow); and
The gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Amo).
The VICE PRESIDENT. The President of the Senate, at the direction of that body, appoints the following Senators as members of the committee on the part of the Senate to escort His Majesty King Charles III into the House Chamber:
The Senator from South Dakota (Mr. Thune);
The Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso);
The Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley);
The Senator from Arkansas (Mr. Cotton);
The Senator from West Virginia (Mrs. Capito);
The Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Lankford);
The Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Scott);
The Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch);
The Senator from New York (Mr. Schumer);
The Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin);
The Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar);
The Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray);
The Senator from Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin); and
The Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen).
Diplomatic Corps, Her Excellency Mathilde Mukantabana, the Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda.
entered the Hall of the House of Representatives and took the seats reserved for them in front of the Speaker's rostrum.
At 3 o'clock and 5 minutes p.m., the Sergeant at Arms, the Honorable William P. McFarland, announced Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
and Representatives, entered the Hall of the House of Representatives and stood at the Clerk's desk. Queen Camilla took the chair to his left.
(Applause, the Members rising.)
The SPEAKER. Members of Congress, I have the high privilege and the distinct honor of presenting to you His Majesty King Charles III.
(Applause, the Members rising.)
HIS MAJESTY CHARLES III. Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of Congress, Representatives of the American people across all States, territories, cities, and communities, I would like, if I may, to take this opportunity to express my particular gratitude to all for the great honor of addressing this joint meeting of Congress and, on behalf of the Queen and myself, to thank the American people for welcoming us to the United States to mark this semiquincentennial year of the Declaration of Independence.
For all of that time, our destinies as nations have been interlinked. As Oscar Wilde said: “We have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language.”
times of conflict from Europe to the Middle East, which pose immense challenges for the international community, and whose impact is felt in communities the length and breadth of our own countries.
great building that sought to harm the leadership of your Nation and to foment wider fear and discord. Let me say with unshakable resolve: Such acts of violence will never succeed.
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.
shoulder because the modern relationship between our two nations and our own peoples spans not merely 250 years but over four centuries. It is extraordinary to think that I am the 19th in our line of sovereigns to study with daily attention the affairs of America, 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.
cannot help but think of my late mother, Queen Elizabeth, who in 1991, was also afforded this signal honor and similarly spoke under the watchful eye of the Statue of Freedom above us.
express the highest regard and friendship of the British people to the people of the United States.
Westminster, we still follow an age-old tradition and take a Member of Parliament hostage, holding him or her at Buckingham Palace until I am safely returned. These days, we look after our guests 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.
As I look back across the centuries, Mr. Speaker, there emerge certain patterns, certain self-evident truths from which we can learn and draw mutual strength. With the spirit of 1776 in our minds, we can perhaps agree that we do not always agree, at least in the first instance.
taxation without representation—was at once a fundamental disagreement between us, and at the same time a shared democratic value which you inherited from us.
Ours is a partnership born out of dispute, but no less strong for it. So perhaps in this example, we can discern that our nations are, in fact, instinctively like-minded, a product of the common democratic, legal, and social traditions in which our governance is rooted to this day.
countries have always found ways to come together and, by Jove, Mr. Speaker, when we have found that way to agree, what great change is brought about, not just for the benefit of our peoples, but of all peoples. This, I believe, is the special ingredient in our relationship.
last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between America and the United Kingdom is priceless and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable.
Mr. Speaker, this is by no means my first visit to Washington, D.C., the capital of this great Republic. It is, in fact, my 20th visit to the United States and my first as King and head of the Commonwealth. This is a city which symbolizes a period in our shared history or what Charles Dickens might have called a tale of two Georges: The first President, George Washington, and my five-times great-grandfather, King George III.
assured, ladies and gentlemen, I am not here as part of some cunning rear-guard action.
The Founding Fathers were bold and imaginative rebels with a cause. Two
other day, they declared independence. By balancing contending forces and drawing strength and diversity, they united 13 disparate Colonies to forge a nation on the revolutionary idea of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
the British Enlightenment, as well as the ideals which had an even deeper history in English common law and Magna Carta. These roots run deep, and they are still vital. Our Declaration of Rights of 1689 was not only the foundation of our constitutional monarchy but also provided the source of so many of the principles reiterated, often verbatim, in the American Bill of Rights of 1791, and those roots go even further back in history. The U.S. Supreme Court Historical Society has calculated that Magna Carta is cited in at least 160 Supreme Court cases since 1789, not least as the foundation of the principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances.
Runnymede, where Magna Carta was signed in the year 1215. This stone records that an acre of that ancient and historic site was given to the United States of America by the people of the United Kingdom, to symbolize our shared resolve in support of liberty, and in memory of President John F. Kennedy.
Halls that this spirit of liberty and the promise of America's Founders is present in every session and every vote cast, not by the will of one but by the deliberation of many, representing the living mosaic of the United States.
diverse, and free societies that gives us our collective strength, including to support victims of some of the ills that so tragically exist in both our societies today.
And, Mr. Speaker, for many here, and for myself, the Christian faith is a firm anchor and daily inspiration that guides us not only personally but together as members of our community. Having devoted a large part of my life to interfaith relationships and greater understanding, it is that faith in the triumph of light over darkness which I have found confirmed countless times.
people of different faiths grow in their understanding of each other. It is why it is my hope, my prayer, that, in these turbulent times, working together and with our international partners, we can stem the beating of plowshares into swords.
that most strengthens my hope. It is why I believe, with all my heart, that the essence of our two nations is a generosity of spirit and a duty to foster compassion, to promote peace, to deepen mutual understanding, and to value all people of all faiths and of none.
for which we are profoundly grateful to the American people, is truly unique. And that alliance is part of what Henry Kissinger described as Kennedy's “soaring vision” of an Atlantic partnership based on twin pillars: Europe and America. That partnership, I believe, Mr. Speaker, is more important today than it has ever been.
grandfather, King George VI. He visited, in 1939, with my beloved grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. The forces of fascism in Europe were on the march, and some time before the United States had joined us in the defense of freedom, our shared values prevailed.
Today, we find ourselves in a new era, but those values remain. It is an era that is, in many ways, more volatile and more dangerous than the world to which my late mother spoke in this Chamber in 1991.
alone. But in this unpredictable environment, our alliance cannot rest on past achievements or assume that foundational principles simply endure.
partnership. We must not disregard everything that has sustained us for the last 80 years. Instead, we must build on it.
Renewal today starts with security. The United Kingdom recognizes that the threats we face demand a transformation in British defense. That is why our country, in order to be fit for the future, has committed to the biggest sustained increase in defense spending since the Cold War—during part of which, over 50 years ago, I served with the immense pride in the Royal Navy, following in the naval footsteps of my father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; my grandfather, King George VI; my great uncle, Lord Mountbatten; and my great-grandfather, King George V.
This year, of course, also marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11. This atrocity was a defining moment for America, and your pain and shock were felt around the whole world.
respects to the victims, the families, and the bravery shown in the face of terrible loss. We stood with you then, and we stand with you now in solemn remembrance of a day that shall never be forgotten.
the first time, and the United Nations Security Council was united in the face of terror, we answered the call together as our people have done so for more than a century, shoulder to shoulder, through two World Wars, the Cold War, Afghanistan, and moments that have defined our shared security.
Today, Mr. Speaker, that same unyielding resolve is needed for the defense of Ukraine and her most courageous people. It is needed in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace.
of the Arctic, the commitment and expertise of the United States Armed Forces and its allies lie at the heart of NATO, pledged to each other's defense, protecting our citizens and interests, keeping North Americans and Europeans safe from our common adversaries.
Today, thousands of U.S. service personnel, defense officials, and their families are stationed in the United Kingdom, as British personnel serve with equal pride across 30 American States. We are building F-35s together and, we have agreed, the most ambitious submarine program in history, AUKUS. And we are doing it in partnership with Australia, a country which I am also immensely proud to serve as sovereign.
sentiment. We do so because they build greater shared resilience for the future, so making our citizens safer for generations to come.
independent judiciary resolving disputes and delivering impartial justice: These features created the conditions for centuries of unmatched economic growth in our two countries. This is why our governments are concluding new economic and technology agreements to write the next chapter of our joint prosperity and ensure that British and American ingenuity continues to lead the world.
tomorrow, our new partnerships in nuclear fusion and quantum computing, and in AI and drug discovery, holding the promise of saving countless lives.
More broadly, we celebrate the $430 billion in annual trade that continues to grow, the $1.7 trillion in mutual investment that fuels that innovation, and the millions of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic supported across both economies.
generations yet unborn. Our ties in education, research, and cultural exchange empower citizens and future leaders of both countries.
Marshall, and the association of which I am so proud to be a patron, are emblematic of the connection between our
two countries. Since its founding, more than 2,300 scholarships have been awarded, opening doors for Americans from all walks of life to study at the United Kingdom's leading universities.
shared responsibility to safeguard nature, our most precious and irreplaceable asset.
drawn, the mountains of Scotland and Appalachia were one—a single, continuous range, forged in the ancient collision of continents.
unique asset, and generations of Americans have risen to this calling. Indigenous, political, and civic leaders, people in rural communities and cities alike, have all helped to protect and nurture what President Theodore Roosevelt called the glorious heritage of this land's extraordinary natural splendor, on which so much of its prosperity has always depended.
generation must decide how to address the collapse of critical natural systems, which threatens far more than the harmony and essential diversity of nature. We ignore at our peril the fact that these natural systems—in other words, nature's own economy—provide the foundation for our prosperity and our national security.
that has grown into one of the most consequential alliances in human history.
our shared values with our partners in Europe and the Commonwealth and across the world and that we ignore the clarion calls to become ever more inward-looking.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, distinguished ladies and gentlemen: America's words carry weight and meaning, as they have since independence. The actions of this great Nation matter even more. President Lincoln understood this so well, with his reflection in the magisterial Gettysburg Address that: The world may little note what we say but will never forget what we do.
And so, to the United States of America: On your 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.
God bless the United States, and God bless the United Kingdom.
(Applause, the Members rising.)
At 3 o'clock and 39 minutes p.m., His Majesty King Charles III, accompanied by the committee of escort, retired from the Hall of the House of Representatives.
The members of the President's Cabinet;
The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps.