US Congress Formally Invites King Charles to Address Joint Session During April State Visit
The bipartisan leadership of the United States Congress has formally invited King Charles III to address a Joint Meeting of Congress on Tuesday, 28 April 2026, during his upcoming state visit to America.
The invitation, dated 1 April 2026, was signed by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer, and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries—a rare show of bipartisan unity in an era of political division.
"On behalf of the bipartisan leadership of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, it is our honor to invite you to address a Joint Meeting of Congress," the letter reads. "The relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom has evolved into one of the most consequential partnerships in modern history."
The congressional leaders noted that the close relationship between the two nations is rooted not merely in shared interests but in a shared "spirit of democracy" and a commitment to "the fundamental values of individual freedom, consent of the governed, and the rule of law"—echoing the words Queen Elizabeth II used when she addressed Congress in 1991.
The letter also acknowledges the significance of the timing, with the United States marking the 250th anniversary of its independence this year. "As we celebrate this historic milestone and recommit ourselves to the principles upon which our nation was founded, we also recognize that the American experiment endures in no small part because of the British tradition from which it sprang," the congressional leaders wrote.
Following in His Mother's Footsteps
If King Charles accepts the invitation—as is expected—he will become only the second British monarch to address a Joint Meeting of Congress, following his mother's historic speech in 1991.
Queen Elizabeth II addressed Congress on 8 July 1976, during America's bicentennial celebrations, and again on 16 May 1991. Her 1976 address, delivered in Statuary Hall, remains one of the most memorable moments of Anglo-American diplomacy.
Speaking during the 200th anniversary of American independence, the Queen opened with characteristic wit: "It has not altogether escaped my notice that there is some sort of celebration going on in America. It has, I believe, something to do with that event 200 years ago when the Founding Fathers of this great Republic, acting in what I like to think was a typically British way, broke the constitutional ties between America and Britain."
She went on to trace the shared values between the two nations back to Magna Carta, noting that the freedoms both countries enjoy "can be traced back over 750 years to the freedoms set out in Magna Carta." The Queen observed that it was fitting that the oldest known transcript of that historic document should lie in the Rotunda of the Capitol during the Bicentennial Year.
Quoting Winston Churchill—"that great Anglo-American"—she spoke of the shared belief in the division of power and the commitment to freedom: "We do not want to live under a system dominated by either one man or one theme. Like nature, we follow in freedom the paths of variety and change."
The Queen acknowledged the heavy responsibilities carried by American legislators, noting that "the world has changed" and become "in some ways a more troubled and uncertain world." She concluded by affirming that "Anglo-American friendship is both tried and certain" and that America "holds a special place in British hearts and affections, and so it will ever be."
A Historic Moment for King Charles
The invitation to address Congress represents the importance both nations place on the "special relationship." The visit comes at a pivotal moment, with the United States celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—a milestone that could have made for an awkward diplomatic occasion but instead offers an opportunity to celebrate how far the relationship has come.
King Charles has visited the United States many times as Prince of Wales, often to promote causes close to his heart, such as environmental conservation and sustainable architecture. However, this will be his first visit as sovereign, and his address to Congress will be closely watched on both sides of the Atlantic.
The state visit, taking place later this month, will include a state banquet at the White House and the address to Congress the same day. On the return journey, Their Majesties will visit Bermuda, a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic.
Fifty years after his mother charmed Congress during America's bicentennial, King Charles will have the opportunity to do the same during the nation's semiquincentennial—a reminder that while much has changed, the bonds between Britain and America remain, as Queen Elizabeth II put it, "both tried and certain."
