April 28, 2026

King Charles Addresses Congress as Security Tightens and State Visit Unfolds

King Charles Addresses Congress as Security Tightens and State Visit Unfolds

King Charles delivers a historic address to the U.S. Congress at 3 p.m. Eastern, calling for “reconciliation and renewal” between the United Kingdom and the United States. The speech comes as security is heightened across Washington following a recent shooting. Earlier, the King and Queen met Donald Trump at the White House, toured a newly installed beehive, and attended a British Embassy garden party featuring a traditional menu. Plus, a protocol moment between Trump and the King, a flag mix-up near the White House, and a glimpse of Charles’s dry humor during the visit.

Get episodes of Palace Intrigue by becommming a paid subscriber on Apple Podcasts. Click the button that says uninterrupted listening. Just $5 a month, and that includes many ofther shows on the Caloroga Shark network.

A new season of King William is available now.

Our royal newsletter written by Deep Crown is available for free.

Royal Books:

Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors by Tom Bower

William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story

The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess Diana

WEBVTT

1
00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:11.560
Calorogus Shark media. Hello and welcome through palace intrigue. I

2
00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:14.240
am your host, Mark Francis, King Charles and Queen ca

3
00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:16.800
Miller arrived at the White House to begin a key

4
00:00:16.839 --> 00:00:20.600
phase of his state visit, with relations between the UK

5
00:00:20.760 --> 00:00:24.519
and the US understrain and security concerns and sharp focus.

6
00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:27.679
The King and Queen were welcomed by Donald Trump and

7
00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:30.960
First Lady Malania Trump, with the two couples posing for

8
00:00:31.120 --> 00:00:34.960
photographs before heading inside for tea in the Green room.

9
00:00:35.240 --> 00:00:38.640
A question of protocol came up after the President briefly

10
00:00:38.679 --> 00:00:42.000
placed a hand on King Charles the Third's shoulder as

11
00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:45.679
they entered the White House. However, official guidance on meeting

12
00:00:45.679 --> 00:00:49.079
members of the royal family is less rigid than often assumed,

13
00:00:49.320 --> 00:00:52.600
stating that there are no mandatory rules and that courtesy

14
00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:56.719
is the key consideration. Handshakes and informal interactions are widely

15
00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:01.280
accepted in modern settings. From inside the White House show

16
00:01:01.320 --> 00:01:04.920
a traditional tea service laid out with finger sandwiches, cakes,

17
00:01:04.920 --> 00:01:08.079
and honey on the tables. A staff member paused tea

18
00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:11.280
for the group. Following the private meeting, the group moved

19
00:01:11.319 --> 00:01:15.040
outside to the South lawn to view a newly installed

20
00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:18.680
beehive designed in the shape of the White House, which

21
00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:22.439
had been introduced as part of the First Lady's recent initiatives.

22
00:01:23.319 --> 00:01:25.879
The King and Queen attended a garden party on Monday.

23
00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:29.079
The garden in question was the sloping lawn of the

24
00:01:29.079 --> 00:01:32.680
British Embassy Residents, where six hundred or so of Washington's

25
00:01:32.680 --> 00:01:35.879
famous and not so famous gathered Pim's cup in one

26
00:01:35.879 --> 00:01:38.239
hand and iPhone in the other to catch a glimpse

27
00:01:38.280 --> 00:01:41.000
of and maybe a word with the royal couple. In

28
00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:44.640
attendance were Ted Cruz, Nancy Pelosi, and Mike Johnson. The

29
00:01:44.719 --> 00:01:46.879
chatter was off the record to keep the garden party

30
00:01:46.920 --> 00:01:50.120
more like well, a garden party and not a news conference.

31
00:01:50.519 --> 00:01:54.920
Only public comments could be quoted, and there were virtually none.

32
00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:57.760
The century old Embassy residence has been the site of

33
00:01:57.799 --> 00:02:01.159
many such scenes, even in the times of ten. Charles

34
00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:03.400
stayed in the residence forty five years ago with Diana,

35
00:02:03.480 --> 00:02:06.920
Princess of Wales during their visit to Washington. With Camilla,

36
00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:10.120
he is staying at Blair House, the official guesthouse across

37
00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:13.240
from the White House. Guests at the garden party were

38
00:02:13.240 --> 00:02:17.400
given a menu designed to showcase traditional British flavor, featuring

39
00:02:17.439 --> 00:02:21.080
a classic afternoon spread with thousands of fingers sandwiches prepared

40
00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:25.599
for the occasion. Head chef Craig Handen outlined the selection, saying,

41
00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:28.840
we'll be doing four types of sandwiches. So Scottish smoked

42
00:02:28.840 --> 00:02:31.080
salmon we're using them. Well, just do a very simple

43
00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:35.360
lemon butter, black pepper brown bread done. We're also doing

44
00:02:35.400 --> 00:02:39.199
a roast beef and Horsefaddish sandwich and not normally traditionally

45
00:02:39.240 --> 00:02:42.919
involved in the afternoon tea flavor. However, we do have

46
00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:45.800
the first imports of British beef, which I'm more than

47
00:02:45.800 --> 00:02:49.080
happy to use for this special occasion. Bend the rules

48
00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:53.039
a little bit. More traditional options were also included. Said

49
00:02:53.159 --> 00:02:55.919
egg mayonnaise is a classic, just nicely boiled eggs, a

50
00:02:55.919 --> 00:02:58.560
little bit of mayo, black pepper and salt. And then

51
00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:01.280
a cucumber sandwich is one of the simplest ones. Now

52
00:03:01.319 --> 00:03:03.360
we do make it a little bit more interesting by

53
00:03:03.400 --> 00:03:07.080
pickling cucumbers slightly, so the sweetness and acidity into the

54
00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:11.680
sandwich makes it a little bit more interesting. And traditionally scones,

55
00:03:11.879 --> 00:03:14.039
so we'll bake the scon for about an hour and

56
00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:17.360
a half before service, so nice and fresh and warm,

57
00:03:17.520 --> 00:03:22.439
clotted cream, strawberry jam and a nice strawberry on top done.

58
00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:27.560
Guests were also offered combinations like West Country cheddar paired

59
00:03:27.560 --> 00:03:31.400
with fig Beyond sandwiches, the menu included savory items such

60
00:03:31.400 --> 00:03:35.120
as aged cheddar and chive kishe, along with tomato, basil,

61
00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:39.759
cucumber and olive tarts. Desserts leaned heavily into British tradition,

62
00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:43.319
with the SCons served alongside strawberries and clotted cream, as

63
00:03:43.319 --> 00:03:46.479
well as baked well tart, ginger cake and Victoria sponge.

64
00:03:46.840 --> 00:03:50.639
A traditional fruit cake was also available, alongside more contemporary

65
00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:55.240
options including raspberry, white chocolate and lemon cake. To accompany

66
00:03:55.280 --> 00:03:58.000
the food, tea was served from Fortenham and Mason, while

67
00:03:58.120 --> 00:04:04.039
hambled and sparkling wine provided a celebratory element. Charles shared

68
00:04:04.039 --> 00:04:08.759
a lighter moment discussing knitting with former Olympic diver Tom Daly. Daily,

69
00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:11.199
who has become well known for his passion for knitting,

70
00:04:11.319 --> 00:04:14.520
described the exchange saying knitting is my outlet for all

71
00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:18.240
my creativity, my mindfulness and my meditation, and the King

72
00:04:18.279 --> 00:04:21.759
has tried knitting many a time. He added the King

73
00:04:21.800 --> 00:04:23.480
said he tried knitting when he was eight and he

74
00:04:23.519 --> 00:04:25.399
wasn't very good, but he said he might pick it

75
00:04:25.480 --> 00:04:28.279
back up. He knows it's very good for mental health.

76
00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:32.079
Queen Camilla has been praised by a leading child protection

77
00:04:32.360 --> 00:04:35.680
group as discussions continue over whether senior royals should meet

78
00:04:35.720 --> 00:04:38.680
with victims linked to the Jeffrey Epstein case. The Queen

79
00:04:38.680 --> 00:04:42.680
met with charity leaders working to combat child exploitation during

80
00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:46.959
a reception at the residence of the British Ambassador. Michael Delone,

81
00:04:47.079 --> 00:04:50.519
chief executive of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children,

82
00:04:50.839 --> 00:04:53.879
said Camilla had been wonderful and helping bring attention to

83
00:04:53.959 --> 00:04:57.839
the issue and encouraging conversation. She added, there are many

84
00:04:57.879 --> 00:05:00.800
people suffering in silence, and having people someone like her

85
00:05:01.240 --> 00:05:05.040
to look up to gives a sense it's not so isolating.

86
00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:07.639
The King is set to deliver a major address to

87
00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:10.399
the US Congress at three pm Eastern, marking only the

88
00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:14.360
second time a British sovereign has addressed both houses of Congress,

89
00:05:14.360 --> 00:05:18.480
following Queen Elizabeth's seconds appearance in nineteen ninety one. According

90
00:05:18.519 --> 00:05:21.439
to Pallace sources, the King's remarks will run for around

91
00:05:21.560 --> 00:05:25.120
twenty minutes and will address a range of global issues

92
00:05:25.120 --> 00:05:28.519
including NATO, the Middle East and Ukraine. While prepared with

93
00:05:28.560 --> 00:05:31.519
input from the British government, the tone and language are

94
00:05:31.519 --> 00:05:35.040
said to reflect Charles' personal voice. The King is set

95
00:05:35.079 --> 00:05:37.680
to say time and again, our two countries have always

96
00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:40.839
found ways to come together, as he calls for reconciliation

97
00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:44.040
and renewal between the UK and the US. His speech

98
00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:47.199
is also expected to emphasize the need to stand together

99
00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:52.000
in face of global challenges and to defend shared democratic values.

100
00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:56.360
He will urge lawmakers to uphold principles of tolerance, liberty

101
00:05:56.399 --> 00:06:01.040
and equality, while highlighting cooperation through alliances such as NATO

102
00:06:01.160 --> 00:06:05.399
and continued support for Ukraine. The King's role was expected

103
00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:09.399
to remain firmly diplomatic and non political. Security across Washington

104
00:06:09.399 --> 00:06:12.519
has been significantly tightened following a recent attack at an

105
00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:15.759
event attended by the President, and the King is expected

106
00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:19.879
to express sympathy during his remarks more pallets in just

107
00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:28.839
a moment. Security has been significantly reinforced, with officials emphasizing

108
00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:33.279
close coordination between British and American teams. Following the recent

109
00:06:33.439 --> 00:06:38.199
shooting incident in Washington. Ambassador Christian Turner said preparations have

110
00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:41.279
been underway well before the attack, noting the real point

111
00:06:41.319 --> 00:06:43.839
is that our respective security teams have been in close

112
00:06:44.120 --> 00:06:47.639
touched for weeks, and any operational changes we have to make,

113
00:06:47.720 --> 00:06:49.879
we can make them as we go, and we are

114
00:06:49.920 --> 00:06:53.720
all very confident that all appropriate security measures are in place.

115
00:06:54.360 --> 00:06:58.560
Former security specialist Richard h told The Independent, with this

116
00:06:58.600 --> 00:07:01.560
particular visit, you've already got members of the Royalty and

117
00:07:01.639 --> 00:07:05.319
specialist protection in the US on the ground, liaising with

118
00:07:05.399 --> 00:07:08.600
the U S. Secret Service, and they've probably been over

119
00:07:08.639 --> 00:07:12.800
there for several weeks already. He explained that plans are

120
00:07:12.959 --> 00:07:16.399
likely being refined in response to the weekend's events, including

121
00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:19.680
efforts to increase distance between the king and crowds to

122
00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:22.800
reduce the risk of a so called loan attacker and

123
00:07:22.879 --> 00:07:27.000
create what he described as a more controlled environment. Despite

124
00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:30.279
the extensive precautions, he cautioned that no security operation is

125
00:07:30.439 --> 00:07:33.399
entirely risk free, saying you can have all of the assets,

126
00:07:33.439 --> 00:07:34.839
all of the people in the world, and it only

127
00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:37.519
takes one guy to get through. There was actually nothing

128
00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:40.439
that exists that is one hundred percent secure one hundred

129
00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:44.720
percent of the time. Washington d C briefly found itself

130
00:07:44.759 --> 00:07:46.839
flying the wrong colors ahead of the arrival of King

131
00:07:46.920 --> 00:07:49.720
Charles after a stretch of flags near the White House

132
00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:53.240
turned out not to be British at all. Photographs shared

133
00:07:53.279 --> 00:07:56.759
on x showed Australian flags lining Seventeenth Street, near the

134
00:07:56.759 --> 00:08:01.279
Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where crews had been preparing the visit,

135
00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:05.279
instead of the Union Jack. The display featured Australia's flag,

136
00:08:05.759 --> 00:08:08.480
a detail that is technically accurate given the King's role

137
00:08:08.519 --> 00:08:10.639
as head of state in Australia, but not quite what

138
00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:14.639
was intended for a British royal. A Department of Transportation

139
00:08:14.839 --> 00:08:19.240
official acknowledged the error, telling the Washington Examiner, we posted

140
00:08:19.240 --> 00:08:21.480
those flags, but it was quickly rectified and we were

141
00:08:21.639 --> 00:08:25.079
able to remove them. Donald Trump ordered a last minute

142
00:08:25.120 --> 00:08:28.279
renovation at the White House ahead of the arrival of

143
00:08:28.319 --> 00:08:30.720
the King and Queen. The project focus on the West

144
00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:34.120
Wing colony, where a walkway was replaced with new dark

145
00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:37.159
granite in time for the royal visit. The work, which

146
00:08:37.159 --> 00:08:39.840
began last month, was accelerated so the path would be

147
00:08:39.879 --> 00:08:42.399
ready for the King and Queen to walk along during

148
00:08:42.480 --> 00:08:46.639
their arrival. Speaking earlier, Trump highlighted the changes, saying, if

149
00:08:46.679 --> 00:08:49.399
you look outside. So we had flooring outside, we had slate,

150
00:08:49.480 --> 00:08:52.200
and it's coming to pieces. It's been there since the

151
00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:55.159
early nineteen forties. And it's a path to the Oval office.

152
00:08:55.360 --> 00:08:57.399
It's a path to the west wing. It was terrible.

153
00:08:57.519 --> 00:09:01.000
We're putting magnificent new granite. It's called arcoll. It's black

154
00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:04.799
granite against the white, beautiful white walls. He went on

155
00:09:04.840 --> 00:09:08.720
to reference ongoing construction plans, including a proposed new ballroom,

156
00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:11.360
saying I tell you, if I had that ballroom built,

157
00:09:11.399 --> 00:09:13.080
it would be full of which we had more seats.

158
00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:17.159
Additional work has also been underway in nearby Lafayette Park,

159
00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:20.600
with efforts reportedly made to complete renovations and reopen parts

160
00:09:20.600 --> 00:09:23.960
of the area in time for the visit. Charles and

161
00:09:23.960 --> 00:09:26.320
Trump were seen in conversation on the south wourne of

162
00:09:26.360 --> 00:09:29.279
the White House as the state visit began. According to

163
00:09:29.399 --> 00:09:33.159
elip reador cited in media reports, Trump appeared to reference

164
00:09:33.159 --> 00:09:37.159
the recent shooting incident, saying this shooting, before adding, are

165
00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:39.519
you okay? It's not a good thing. I wasn't prepared,

166
00:09:39.559 --> 00:09:43.759
but now I am prepared. The same account suggests Trump

167
00:09:43.799 --> 00:09:47.039
then turned to international matters, saying, so right now, I

168
00:09:47.080 --> 00:09:50.000
am talking to Putin he wants war, and later adding

169
00:09:50.240 --> 00:09:51.960
I've got a feeling if he did what he said,

170
00:09:52.039 --> 00:09:55.879
he will wipe out the population. The King is reported

171
00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:59.960
to have steered the conversation away from sensitive topics, responding

172
00:10:00.519 --> 00:10:03.279
we will discuss this later and another time. As the

173
00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:06.639
exchange continued, a second lip reader described parts of the

174
00:10:06.679 --> 00:10:10.639
interaction as unclear, noting the conversation became too disjointed to

175
00:10:10.759 --> 00:10:14.519
fully interpret. During the garden party, Charles showed a flash

176
00:10:14.519 --> 00:10:18.000
of dry humor as he responded to a comedian's impression

177
00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:21.200
of him. Comedian Matt Friend performed an impression of the

178
00:10:21.240 --> 00:10:25.080
monarch while the King stood nearby. Charles's response was brief

179
00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:28.360
but pointed. Keep working on it, he said, prompting laughter

180
00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:32.120
from those gathered, And they have it. If you'd like

181
00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:34.399
to email us our addresses the Palace intric at gmail

182
00:10:34.440 --> 00:10:36.120
dot com. Please follow us on Spotted by Apple or

183
00:10:36.159 --> 00:10:39.840
the Apple Joyce by Mount Francis My thanks to John McDermott.

184
00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:42.279
This is pallace injury in good terms.