The charm of the British sovereign, on an official four-day visit to the United States, has enchanted President Donald Trump and members of the US Congress, in an authentic demonstration of soft power, thus ensuring that the special relationship between the US and the United Kingdom continues.
Through his speech in the US Congress, King Charles offered a measured display of mastery, managing not to provoke any tirades from the mad monarch at the White House, notes The Guardian. However, the king’s central message – that of two great nations intertwined in destiny – was also an accidental reminder of two empires that seem increasingly crumbling in today’s world, with right-wing populists on the rise and the shadow of the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein looming.
Charles became the first British sovereign to address the US Congress, nearly exactly 250 years after the US denounced his fifth great-grandfather, George III, calling him a tyrant, and declared their independence.
What would the founding fathers of America have thought if they had seen the direct descendant of George III speaking to their successors? Well, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and company would certainly be more shocked to discover that they now have their own mad king in the White House, writes the British daily, referring to Trump.
Finally, someone who makes Americans feel good as they are
The House of Representatives was packed for the king's speech. Vice President JD Vance was applauded upon entry, followed by senators and Cabinet members who occupied prominent seats in the front.
Dressed in a blue suit and a gray patterned tie, Charles, accompanied by Queen Camilla, entered the room at 3:06 local time to thunderous applause. It was an extremely rare sight, with Democrats and Republicans united in thought and sentiment - not even presidents are received like this when they come to deliver the State of the Union address, notes the newspaper.
When Charles began by expressing his gratitude to Congress and the American people for welcoming him to the United States to mark 250 years since the declaration of independence, the room erupted in cheers and ovations - finally, here was a man who could make Americans feel good about themselves!
Predictably, the 77-year-old king did not mention anything about Iran. Nor about Israel, nor about immigration, nor about a host of other controversial topics from the Trump era.
Instead, he showed refined mastery in the concept of less-is-more, emphasizing the common ties between the two countries that long predate Trump.
Tender Rebukes for Trump
Sprinkling in a few humorous remarks, Charles said that the Magna Carta, drawn up in 1215 by English nobles and Church leaders to limit the powers of the king, has been cited in at least 160 cases in the Supreme Court since 1789, "not least as the foundation of the principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances." Could this have been a jab at Trump's authoritarian ambitions? Democrats seemed to applaud this statement with particular intensity, observes The Guardian.
And when the king characterized Congress as "not by the will of one, but by the deliberation of many," a cry of approval - "All right!" - was heard from the Democrats.
Charles continued to make subtle political statements. He said he served with "immense pride" in the Royal Navy - the same one Trump has disparaged recently.
The king continued: "In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time, and the United Nations Security Council united against terror, we answered the call together." It didn't take a huge leap of imagination to understand that it was a gentle rebuke to Trump, who criticizes NATO.
When the monarch spoke of the "unwavering resolve necessary to defend Ukraine and its bravest people," the roar of applause might have been shocking to the ears of JD Vance.
Charles is a renowned environmentalist who speaks to plants. In his address to Congress, he quoted Theodore Roosevelt, who spoke of the need to protect America's "glorious heritage" of natural splendor.
Mission accomplished. Charles left the room with handshakes and smiles.
Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown, as they say, but thanks to skillful speeches and a series of quotes, the king expressed his viewpoint without triggering a fiery tirade on Truth Social from the mad monarch, concludes the British daily.
T.D.