Republicans remain seated as King Charles speaks out on Ukraine and nature

Dorothy Reddin
Tue, 28 Apr 2026 20:34:47 +0000

King Charles's historic address to the United States Congress on Tuesday saw a notably cool reception from some Republican lawmakers during key moments of his speech.

When the monarch urged that the same "unyielding resolve" demonstrated following the September 11 attacks should now be extended to Ukraine, several members seated on the Republican side of the chamber remained in their seats, while others rose to applaud.

The 77-year-old sovereign's call for steadfast support drew a visible divide in the congressional response, with several Republican representatives declining to join the standing ovation that greeted this portion of his remarks.

A similarly subdued reaction emerged from Republican members when King Charles spoke about environmental matters during his address.

The King's remarks, highlighting nature as a fundamental underpinning of both economic prosperity and national security, failed to generate enthusiasm from portions of the Republican contingent.

This muted response to the monarch's environmental message mirrored the earlier reluctance shown during his Ukraine comments, suggesting a pattern of reserved engagement from some conservative lawmakers throughout the speech.

The divided reactions came despite the otherwise historic and ceremonial nature of the occasion, which marked only the second time a reigning British sovereign had addressed the American legislature.

King Charles's appearance before Congress placed him in rare historical company, becoming just the second British monarch to deliver such an address after his late mother Queen Elizabeth II spoke to lawmakers in 1991.

The King used the platform to condemn the weekend shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, which left a Secret Service officer wounded and resulted in Cole Tomas Allen being charged with attempting to assassinate the president.

"We meet, too, in the aftermath of the incident not far from this great building that sought to harm the leadership of your nation and to foment wider fear and discord," King Charles told the assembled legislators.

"Let me say with unshakeable resolve: such acts of violence will never succeed."

The monarch reflected on the remarkable transformation from the bitter divisions of the Revolutionary War era to what he described as "one of the most consequential Alliances in human history."

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King Charles, a descendant of King George III who reigned during American independence, joked that he was "not here as part of some cunning rearguard action."

Looking forward, the King implored both nations to resist becoming "ever more inward-looking" and to continue defending shared values alongside European and Commonwealth partners.

"I pray with all my heart that our alliance will continue to defend our shared values," he declared, before offering birthday wishes to America on its 250th anniversary.