King Charles delivers a royal speech with punchlines and pointed political subtext

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published April 29, 2026 at 11:02 AM CDT

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Britain's King Charles III speaks to a joint meeting of Congress in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Washington, as Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson listen. (Matt Rourke/AP)

King Charles III won laughs in Congress, but underneath the humor, his speech carried pointed messages. He defended NATO, emphasized checks on executive power and warned against isolationism, all while carefully avoiding direct confrontation with President Trump.

Here & Now‘s Indira Lakshmanan talks with Edward Luce of the Financial Times about the balancing act.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.