King Charles Addresses Congress as Security Tightens and State Visit Unfolds

0:03 Calorogus Shark media. Hello and welcome through palace intrigue. I am your host, Mark Francis, King Charles and Queen ca Miller arrived at the White House to begin a key phase of his state visit, with relations between the UK and the US understrain and security concerns and sharp focus. The King and Queen were welcomed by Donald Trump and First Lady Malania Trump, with the two couples posing for photographs before heading inside for tea in the Green room. A question of protocol came up after the President briefly placed a hand on King Charles the Third's shoulder as they entered the White House. However, official guidance on meeting members of the royal family is less rigid than often assumed, stating that there are no mandatory rules and that courtesy is the key consideration. Handshakes and informal interactions are widely accepted in modern settings. From inside the White House show a traditional tea service laid out with finger sandwiches, cakes, and honey on the tables. A staff member paused tea for the group. Following the private meeting, the group moved outside to the South lawn to view a newly installed beehive designed in the shape of the White House, which had been introduced as part of the First Lady's recent initiatives.

1:23 The King and Queen attended a garden party on Monday. The garden in question was the sloping lawn of the British Embassy Residents, where six hundred or so of Washington's famous and not so famous gathered Pim's cup in one hand and iPhone in the other to catch a glimpse of and maybe a word with the royal couple. In attendance were Ted Cruz, Nancy Pelosi, and Mike Johnson. The chatter was off the record to keep the garden party more like well, a garden party and not a news conference. Only public comments could be quoted, and there were virtually none. The century old Embassy residence has been the site of many such scenes, even in the times of ten. Charles stayed in the residence forty five years ago with Diana, Princess of Wales during their visit to Washington. With Camilla, he is staying at Blair House, the official guesthouse across from the White House. Guests at the garden party were given a menu designed to showcase traditional British flavor, featuring a classic afternoon spread with thousands of fingers sandwiches prepared for the occasion. Head chef Craig Handen outlined the selection, saying, we'll be doing four types of sandwiches. So Scottish smoked salmon we're using them. Well, just do a very simple lemon butter, black pepper brown bread done. We're also doing a roast beef and Horsefaddish sandwich and not normally traditionally involved in the afternoon tea flavor. However, we do have the first imports of British beef, which I'm more than happy to use for this special occasion. Bend the rules a little bit. More traditional options were also included. Said egg mayonnaise is a classic, just nicely boiled eggs, a

2:55 little bit of mayo, black pepper and salt. And then a cucumber sandwich is one of the simplest ones. Now we do make it a little bit more interesting by pickling cucumbers slightly, so the sweetness and acidity into the sandwich makes it a little bit more interesting. And traditionally scones, so we'll bake the scon for about an hour and a half before service, so nice and fresh and warm, clotted cream, strawberry jam and a nice strawberry on top done. Guests were also offered combinations like West Country cheddar paired with fig Beyond sandwiches, the menu included savory items such as aged cheddar and chive kishe, along with tomato, basil, cucumber and olive tarts. Desserts leaned heavily into British tradition, with the SCons served alongside strawberries and clotted cream, as well as baked well tart, ginger cake and Victoria sponge.

3:46 A traditional fruit cake was also available, alongside more contemporary options including raspberry, white chocolate and lemon cake. To accompany the food, tea was served from Fortenham and Mason, while hambled and sparkling wine provided a celebratory element. Charles shared a lighter moment discussing knitting with former Olympic diver Tom Daly. Daily, who has become well known for his passion for knitting, described the exchange saying knitting is my outlet for all my creativity, my mindfulness and my meditation, and the King has tried knitting many a time. He added the King said he tried knitting when he was eight and he wasn't very good, but he said he might pick it back up. He knows it's very good for mental health.

4:28 Queen Camilla has been praised by a leading child protection group as discussions continue over whether senior royals should meet with victims linked to the Jeffrey Epstein case. The Queen met with charity leaders working to combat child exploitation during a reception at the residence of the British Ambassador. Michael Delone, chief executive of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said Camilla had been wonderful and helping bring attention to the issue and encouraging conversation. She added, there are many people suffering in silence, and having people someone like her to look up to gives a sense it's not so isolating. The King is set to deliver a major address to the US Congress at three pm Eastern, marking only the second time a British sovereign has addressed both houses of Congress, following Queen Elizabeth's seconds appearance in nineteen ninety one. According to Pallace sources, the King's remarks will run for around twenty minutes and will address a range of global issues including NATO, the Middle East and Ukraine. While prepared with input from the British government, the tone and language are said to reflect Charles' personal voice. The King is set to say time and again, our two countries have always found ways to come together, as he calls for reconciliation and renewal between the UK and the US. His speech is also expected to emphasize the need to stand together in face of global challenges and to defend shared democratic values.

5:52 He will urge lawmakers to uphold principles of tolerance, liberty and equality, while highlighting cooperation through alliances such as NATO and continued support for Ukraine. The King's role was expected to remain firmly diplomatic and non political. Security across Washington has been significantly tightened following a recent attack at an event attended by the President, and the King is expected to express sympathy during his remarks more pallets in just a moment. Security has been significantly reinforced, with officials emphasizing close coordination between British and American teams. Following the recent shooting incident in Washington. Ambassador Christian Turner said preparations have been underway well before the attack, noting the real point is that our respective security teams have been in close touched for weeks, and any operational changes we have to make, we can make them as we go, and we are all very confident that all appropriate security measures are in place.

6:54 Former security specialist Richard h told The Independent, with this particular visit, you've already got members of the Royalty and specialist protection in the US on the ground, liaising with the U S. Secret Service, and they've probably been over there for several weeks already. He explained that plans are likely being refined in response to the weekend's events, including efforts to increase distance between the king and crowds to reduce the risk of a so called loan attacker and create what he described as a more controlled environment. Despite the extensive precautions, he cautioned that no security operation is entirely risk free, saying you can have all of the assets, all of the people in the world, and it only takes one guy to get through. There was actually nothing that exists that is one hundred percent secure one hundred percent of the time. Washington d C briefly found itself flying the wrong colors ahead of the arrival of King Charles after a stretch of flags near the White House turned out not to be British at all. Photographs shared on x showed Australian flags lining Seventeenth Street, near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where crews had been preparing the visit, instead of the Union Jack. The display featured Australia's flag, a detail that is technically accurate given the King's role as head of state in Australia, but not quite what was intended for a British royal. A Department of Transportation official acknowledged the error, telling the Washington Examiner, we posted those flags, but it was quickly rectified and we were able to remove them. Donald Trump ordered a last minute

8:25 renovation at the White House ahead of the arrival of the King and Queen. The project focus on the West Wing colony, where a walkway was replaced with new dark granite in time for the royal visit. The work, which began last month, was accelerated so the path would be ready for the King and Queen to walk along during their arrival. Speaking earlier, Trump highlighted the changes, saying, if you look outside. So we had flooring outside, we had slate, and it's coming to pieces. It's been there since the early nineteen forties. And it's a path to the Oval office. It's a path to the west wing. It was terrible. We're putting magnificent new granite. It's called arcoll. It's black granite against the white, beautiful white walls. He went on to reference ongoing construction plans, including a proposed new ballroom, saying I tell you, if I had that ballroom built, it would be full of which we had more seats.

9:13 Additional work has also been underway in nearby Lafayette Park, with efforts reportedly made to complete renovations and reopen parts of the area in time for the visit. Charles and Trump were seen in conversation on the south wourne of the White House as the state visit began. According to elip reador cited in media reports, Trump appeared to reference the recent shooting incident, saying this shooting, before adding, are you okay? It's not a good thing. I wasn't prepared, but now I am prepared. The same account suggests Trump then turned to international matters, saying, so right now, I am talking to Putin he wants war, and later adding I've got a feeling if he did what he said, he will wipe out the population. The King is reported to have steered the conversation away from sensitive topics, responding we will discuss this later and another time. As the exchange continued, a second lip reader described parts of the interaction as unclear, noting the conversation became too disjointed to fully interpret. During the garden party, Charles showed a flash of dry humor as he responded to a comedian's impression of him. Comedian Matt Friend performed an impression of the monarch while the King stood nearby. Charles's response was brief but pointed. Keep working on it, he said, prompting laughter from those gathered, And they have it. If you'd like to email us our addresses the Palace intric at gmail dot com. Please follow us on Spotted by Apple or the Apple Joyce by Mount Francis My thanks to John McDermott.

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