King Charles III To Make First US State Visit, Address Congress Next Month/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ King Charles III will visit Washington next month. He is expected to address Congress in a joint session. Visit comes amid tensions over the Iran war.
Quick Looks
- King Charles III to visit Washington
- Joint address to Congress planned
- First British royal address since 1991
- Visit scheduled for week of April 27
- Comes amid US-UK tensions over Iran war
- Part of broader diplomatic engagement
Deep Look: King Charles III To Make First US State Visit, Address Congress Next Month
King Charles III is expected to make his first state visit to the United States next month, including a historic address to Congress, according to officials familiar with the plans.
The British monarch is scheduled to visit Washington during the week of April 27 and is expected to deliver remarks at a joint meeting of Congress. The visit will mark the first time a British royal has addressed lawmakers since Queen Elizabeth II spoke before Congress in 1991.
That address by Queen Elizabeth made history as the first time a British monarch spoke before a joint session of Congress.
Diplomatic Context
King Charles’ visit comes amid evolving diplomatic dynamics between the United States and the United Kingdom. President Donald Trump visited London in September, and House Speaker Mike Johnson traveled to the United Kingdom in January as part of events marking America’s 250th anniversary.
During that trip, Johnson addressed the British Parliament, becoming the first U.S. House speaker to do so.
The upcoming royal visit is expected to further strengthen diplomatic ties between the two countries, which have historically maintained close political and military cooperation.
Iran War Tensions
The visit also comes as tensions remain between Washington and London over the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran.
President Trump has been pressing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to support the military campaign. However, Starmer has publicly distanced the United Kingdom from the conflict.
“This is not our war, and we are not getting dragged into this war,” Starmer said previously.
Despite differences over the conflict, the visit is expected to focus on broader U.S.-UK cooperation, including security, trade and diplomatic relations.
Historic Royal Moment
The trip will mark King Charles III’s first official visit to Washington since becoming monarch. His appearance before Congress would place him among a small group of foreign leaders and dignitaries invited to address lawmakers in a joint session.
Formal details of the visit are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
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