Five takeaways from the King's historic address to Congress
But it has also been billed as a rescue mission.The current state of US-UK relations is strained - a reflection of British reluctance to fully back the joint US-Israeli war against Iran. So the King's goal has been to ease those tensions with a royal charm offensive, most notably with his joint address to Congress on Tuesday afternoon.The King spoke of the "reconciliation and renewal" that he said characterised the centuries of interactions between the two nations, a theme he returned to later at the White House state banquet.But there were also some lines in his speech, the first royal address to Congress since Queen Elizabeth II spoke at the Capitol in 1991, that may have buoyed Democrats - and raised eyebrows in the White House.1. An acknowledgement of uncertaintyAdmitting you have a problem is the first step of recovery, as the saying goes. And so King Charles started his speech by diving right into the "times of great uncertainty" that confront both the US and the UK.He ticked through conflicts in the Middle East and Europe – sources of recent contention between the US and the UK - while also noting the threat to democracy presented by the kind of political violence that upended Saturday night's White House Correspondents' Dinner.From there, the King pivoted to talking about the fact that the US and the UK haven't always seen eye to eye."With the spirit of 1776 in our minds," he said, "we can perhaps agree that we do not always agree".That was all a set-up, however, for his conclusion that the two nations, when in alignment, can do great things "not just for the benefit of our peoples, but of all peoples".What the King and Queen did on their first day in the US2. A warning about US executive powerWhen King Charles noted that executive power "subject to checks and balances" was a British legal tradition, enshrined in the Magna Carta, which became a bedrock principle in the US Constitution, he received another standing ovation – with a twist.The cheers started on the Democratic side of the chamber, before spreading across the entire room.Donald Trump's critics on the left have frequently denounced the president for what they see as his abuse of power. A sense that the president should be subject to rigorous checks and balances was one of the motivating sentiments behind the "no kings" rallies that have drawn hundreds of thousands across the nation over the past year.Later, as the King closed out his speech, one of his final lines prompted some muttering – of both agreement and concern – from the Democratic side."America's words carry weight and meaning, as they have since independence," the King said. "The actions of this great nation matter even more."Democrats, of course, have frequently been critics of Trump's words, and how he delivers them, as well as his actions.Whether intended or not, it appears liberals in the audience may have viewed the King as delivering a message of warning to the nation – while offering them a chance, once again, to express their "no kings" sentiment.3. A nod to Nato and the transatlantic alliance'Our two countries have always found ways to come together'Quoting former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, the King spoke of an Atlantic partnership and noted – not for the first time among America's European allies – that the only time Nato mobilised in defence of one of its member-states was after the 9/11 terror attacks by al-Qaeda.Trump has derided the British Navy, long a source of pride for the kingdom. He called their ships "toys" and said their aircraft carriers "didn't work".King Charles, who served for five years in the Royal Navy, made a specific mention of his time in the service – using it as an entry point to
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