King Charles will meet with Trump and deliver a speech to Congress today

As the king’s visit is aimed at celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, Charles is likely to talk about the relationship between the two countries, especially during and after World War II. The king, who plays a different role in the UK than the prime minister and is usually not involved in day-to-day governance, may rely more on history to inform his speech.

“I expect the speech to be high-level and my expectation is that it will be somewhat historical – to acknowledge that the United States emerged from a rebellion, but how did we overcome that,” said Max Bergmann, director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The question will be, says Bergmann, whether the king will point to issues such as human rights and freedom that the US and the UK supported together after World War II, and whether the king will say something that could be interpreted as criticizing the current administration.

President Trump’s meeting with the king is expected to take place behind closed doors on Tuesday morning, away from the eyes of reporters. They may discuss the US war with Iran and other international issues, although Bergmann said “his basic idea is that this is going to be a feel-good trip” that focuses on the historical relationship between the two nations.

However, Charles has a critical role to play. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s relationship with Mr Trump has soured amid the war with Iran. Mr. Trump also criticized immigration policy under Starmer.

“He has a fine thread and he has to thread it with a very fine needle,” Bergmann said of the king.

Bergmann said the president and the king could also discuss other matters of concern to the king, such as global nutrition and health aid in poor countries. International aid from the US had a major impact on the dissolution of the US Agency for International Development.

Mr. Trump told the BBC last week that he thought the king’s visit could help mend US-UK relations.

“Absolutely,” the president told the BBC. “He’s handsome. He’s a sweet man. The answer is definitely yes.”

It is not clear exactly when they first met, but it was more than twenty years ago, when Mr. Trump was a businessman in the New York community. Photos show Melania and Donald Trump talking to Charles at an event at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 2005.

Officially, the president and the first lady visited the UK with him in 2019, when Charles was already the Prince of Wales. The Trumps visited again September 2025attending an elaborate dinner hosted by the king and queen at Windsor Castle.

“I know him well, I have known him for years,” said Mr. Trump told the BBC last week. “He is a brave man, and a great man.”

Mr. Trump expressed sympathy for the king after the king’s brother, Andrew Mountbatton-Windsor, you are arrested for allegations of public misconduct in office related to revelations from the Epstein files. The king had already stripped Andrew of his royal titles because of his links to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Mr. Trump called the situation with Andrew “very sad.”

Charles’ first official visit to Washington was in 2015, when he was a prince. He and Camilla met the Obamas on that trip.

When Charles and Camilla arrived on American soil on Monday, they were greeted by a group of American soldiers and school children who presented flowers.

Afterwards, they headed to the White House, where President Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcomed them with a private tea and a late tour of the White House. beehive.