"Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, members of Congress,
representatives of the American people across all states,
territories, cities and communities.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my particular
gratitude to you all for the great honour 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 semi-quincentennial year of the
Declaration of Independence.
And 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.’
Ladies and gentlemen, we meet in times of great uncertainty;
in 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.
We meet, too, in the aftermath of the incident not far from
this great building that 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. 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.
Standing here today, it is hard not to feel the weight of history
on my 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.
Speaking in this renowned chamber of debate and
deliberation, I cannot help but think of my late mother, Queen
Elizabeth, who, in 1991, was also afforded this signal honour
and similarly spoke under the watchful eye of the Statue of
Freedom above us. Today I am here on this 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.
As you may know, when I address my own Parliament at
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 ‘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?
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.
Indeed, the very principle on which your Congress was
founded – no 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.
Drawing on these values and traditions, time and again, our
two 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. As
President Trump himself observed during his state visit to
Britain last autumn, ‘The bond of kinship and identity
between America and the United Kingdom is priceless and
eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable.’
This is by no means my first visit to Washington DC – 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. King George
never set foot in America and, please rest assured, I am not
here as part of some cunning rearguard action.
The Founding Fathers were bold and imaginative rebels with
a cause. Two hundred and fifty years ago, or, as we say in the
United Kingdom ‘just the other day,’ they declared
Independence. By balancing contending forces and drawing
strength in diversity, they united 13 disparate colonies to
forge a nation on the revolutionary idea of ‘life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness.’ They carried with them, and carried
forward, the great inheritance of 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 our 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.
This is the reason why there stands a stone, by the River
Thames at 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.
Distinguished members of the 119th Congress, it is here in
these very 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. In both of
our countries, it is the very fact of our vibrant, 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.
Through it I am inspired by the profound respect that
develops as 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.
I am mindful that we are still in the season of Easter, the
season 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.
The alliance that our two nations have built over the
centuries, and 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.
The first reigning British sovereign to set foot in America was
my 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 defence 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.
The challenges we face are too great for any one nation to bear
alone. But in this unpredictable environment, our alliance
cannot rest on past achievements, or assume that
foundational principles simply endure. As my Prime Minister
said last month: ‘ours is an indispensable partnership. We
must not disregard everything that has sustained us for the
last eighty 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 defence.
That is why our country, in order to be fit for the future, has
committed to the biggest sustained increase in defence
spending since the Cold War – during part of which, over 50
years ago, I served with 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. During my
visit to New York, my wife and I will again pay our 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.
In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when NATO invoked
Article Five for 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 defence of Ukraine and her most courageous people. It
is needed in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace.
From the depths of the Atlantic to the disastrously melting
icecaps 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 defence, protecting our
citizens and interests, keeping North Americans and
Europeans safe from our common adversaries.
Our defence, intelligence and security ties are hard-wired
together through relationships measured not in years, but in
decades.
Today, thousands of U.S. service personnel, defence 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, in
partnership with Australia, a country of which I am also
immensely proud to serve as sovereign.
We do not embark on these remarkable endeavors together
out of sentiment. We do so because they build greater shared
resilience for the future, so making our citizens safer for
generations to come.
Our common ideals were not only crucial for liberty and
equality, they are also the foundation of our shared
prosperity. The rule of law: the certainty of stable and
accessible rules, an 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.
Our nations are combining talent and resources in the
technologies of 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 dollars in annual
trade that continues to grow, the 1.7 trillion dollars in mutual
investment that fuels that innovation, and the millions of jobs
on both sides of the Atlantic supported across both
economies. These are strong foundations on which to
continue to build, for generations yet unborn.
Our ties in education, research, and cultural exchange
empower citizens and future leaders of both countries.
The Marshall Scholarship, named after the great General
George Marshall, and the Association of which I am so proud
to be 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.
So as we look toward the next 250 years, we must also reflect
on our shared responsibility to safeguard nature, our most
precious and irreplaceable asset.
Millennia before our nations existed, before any border
drawn, the mountains of Scotland and Appalachia were one, a
single, continuous range, forged in the ancient collision of
continents.
The natural wonders of the United States of America are
indeed a 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.
Yet even as we celebrate the beauty that surrounds us, our
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.
The story of the United Kingdom and the United States is, at
its heart, a story of reconciliation, renewal and remarkable
partnership.
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.
I pray with all my heart that our alliance will continue to
defend 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."
representatives of the American people across all states,
territories, cities and communities.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my particular
gratitude to you all for the great honour 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 semi-quincentennial year of the
Declaration of Independence.
And 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.’
Ladies and gentlemen, we meet in times of great uncertainty;
in 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.
We meet, too, in the aftermath of the incident not far from
this great building that 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. 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.
Standing here today, it is hard not to feel the weight of history
on my 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.
Speaking in this renowned chamber of debate and
deliberation, I cannot help but think of my late mother, Queen
Elizabeth, who, in 1991, was also afforded this signal honour
and similarly spoke under the watchful eye of the Statue of
Freedom above us. Today I am here on this 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.
As you may know, when I address my own Parliament at
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 ‘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?
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.
Indeed, the very principle on which your Congress was
founded – no 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.
Drawing on these values and traditions, time and again, our
two 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. As
President Trump himself observed during his state visit to
Britain last autumn, ‘The bond of kinship and identity
between America and the United Kingdom is priceless and
eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable.’
This is by no means my first visit to Washington DC – 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. King George
never set foot in America and, please rest assured, I am not
here as part of some cunning rearguard action.
The Founding Fathers were bold and imaginative rebels with
a cause. Two hundred and fifty years ago, or, as we say in the
United Kingdom ‘just the other day,’ they declared
Independence. By balancing contending forces and drawing
strength in diversity, they united 13 disparate colonies to
forge a nation on the revolutionary idea of ‘life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness.’ They carried with them, and carried
forward, the great inheritance of 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 our 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.
This is the reason why there stands a stone, by the River
Thames at 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.
Distinguished members of the 119th Congress, it is here in
these very 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. In both of
our countries, it is the very fact of our vibrant, 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.
Through it I am inspired by the profound respect that
develops as 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.
I am mindful that we are still in the season of Easter, the
season 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.
The alliance that our two nations have built over the
centuries, and 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.
The first reigning British sovereign to set foot in America was
my 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 defence 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.
The challenges we face are too great for any one nation to bear
alone. But in this unpredictable environment, our alliance
cannot rest on past achievements, or assume that
foundational principles simply endure. As my Prime Minister
said last month: ‘ours is an indispensable partnership. We
must not disregard everything that has sustained us for the
last eighty 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 defence.
That is why our country, in order to be fit for the future, has
committed to the biggest sustained increase in defence
spending since the Cold War – during part of which, over 50
years ago, I served with 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. During my
visit to New York, my wife and I will again pay our 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.
In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when NATO invoked
Article Five for 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 defence of Ukraine and her most courageous people. It
is needed in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace.
From the depths of the Atlantic to the disastrously melting
icecaps 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 defence, protecting our
citizens and interests, keeping North Americans and
Europeans safe from our common adversaries.
Our defence, intelligence and security ties are hard-wired
together through relationships measured not in years, but in
decades.
Today, thousands of U.S. service personnel, defence 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, in
partnership with Australia, a country of which I am also
immensely proud to serve as sovereign.
We do not embark on these remarkable endeavors together
out of sentiment. We do so because they build greater shared
resilience for the future, so making our citizens safer for
generations to come.
Our common ideals were not only crucial for liberty and
equality, they are also the foundation of our shared
prosperity. The rule of law: the certainty of stable and
accessible rules, an 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.
Our nations are combining talent and resources in the
technologies of 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 dollars in annual
trade that continues to grow, the 1.7 trillion dollars in mutual
investment that fuels that innovation, and the millions of jobs
on both sides of the Atlantic supported across both
economies. These are strong foundations on which to
continue to build, for generations yet unborn.
Our ties in education, research, and cultural exchange
empower citizens and future leaders of both countries.
The Marshall Scholarship, named after the great General
George Marshall, and the Association of which I am so proud
to be 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.
So as we look toward the next 250 years, we must also reflect
on our shared responsibility to safeguard nature, our most
precious and irreplaceable asset.
Millennia before our nations existed, before any border
drawn, the mountains of Scotland and Appalachia were one, a
single, continuous range, forged in the ancient collision of
continents.
The natural wonders of the United States of America are
indeed a 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.
Yet even as we celebrate the beauty that surrounds us, our
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.
The story of the United Kingdom and the United States is, at
its heart, a story of reconciliation, renewal and remarkable
partnership.
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.
I pray with all my heart that our alliance will continue to
defend 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."
It has been interesting watching the response to the King's speech. My favourite is below as I think it sums things up nicely;
Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour
A Kisaragi Colour
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