King Charles tells Congress that alliance is "more important today" than ever

Politics King Charles tells Congress that U.S.-U.K. alliance is "more important today than it has ever been" By Caitlin Yilek Caitlin Yilek Politics Reporter Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation. Read Full Bio Caitlin Yilek April 28, 2026 / 4:53 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — Saying he felt the "weight of history" on his shoulders, King Charles became the first British monarch in 35 years to address Congress on Tuesday, where he urged lawmakers to rededicate their commitment to the transatlantic U.S.-U.K. alliance and resist "clarion calls to become ever more inward-looking.""America's words carry weight and meaning, as they have since independence. The actions of this great nation matter even more. President Lincoln understood this so well, with his reflection in the magisterial Gettysburg Address that the world may little note what we say, but will never forget what we do," the king told a packed House chamber on the second day of his state visit to the U.S. "And so, to the United States of America, on your 250th birthday, let our two countries rededicate ourselves to each other in the selfless service of our peoples and of all the peoples of the world."This week's visit from the king and Queen Camilla comes as the relationship between President Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been strained over the war in Iran and other issues. In his nearly 30-minute speech, Charles highlighted the centuries-long relationship between the U.S. and U.K."The modern relationship between our two nations and our own peoples spans not merely 250 years, but over four centuries. It is extraordinary to think that I am the nineteenth in our line of sovereigns to study, with daily attention, the affairs of America," he said. "So...