King's speech was a 'high stakes' moment of US visit, Palace says

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. King's speech was a 'high stakes' moment of US visit, Palace says 12 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Sean Coughlan Royal correspondent, New York Watch key moments from the King's address to US Congress King Charles III's speech to the US Congress last week was a "high stakes" moment, a senior royal aide has said, but one that stayed true to the monarch's personal "conscience". The state visit speech, in which the King urged US lawmakers to defend Ukraine and support Nato, was a "measure of how much he personally cares", said the Palace aide. The speech has been widely applauded for its diplomatic skill in encouraging US President Donald Trump to defend democratic values against aggressors in a "volatile world".

Buckingham Palace has been reflecting on a trip that was the biggest diplomatic challenge of the King's reign. Have the royals got their mojo back from US visit? King gets ovation for Congress speech warning of volatile world Will King's US visit lead to lasting reset in relations with UK?

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The King had travelled against a background of political tension between the UK and the US, most recently over the government's decision to not get involved in the Iran war. Addressing US Congress on Tuesday, the King used humour and charm, but delivered a surprisingly direct message about the need for the US to support democratic values. "Everything that is in that speech is an observable fact.

And so, I think we felt very comfortable with the King speaking as he did," said the royal aide, who said the monarch was guided by a sense of "truth" and "conscience". The speech had been welcomed by US lawmakers in the Capitol building, with the King receiving 12 standing ovations. On the personal chemistry between the King and US president, it was more positive than might have been expected, given the differences in the UK and US positions, suggested the royal aide.

"They get on very well... It's a pairing, sort of unlikely though it might be in many ways… I mean, given some of the issues that have presented themselves in the bilateral relationship, you'd think it might all be a bit tricky. And the warmth that you see in public is absolutely the warmth you see in private.

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That meeting in the Oval Office, there was an awful lot of warmth and laughter," said the royal aide. Relationships were warm between the Trumps and their visitors, says the royal aide Ahead of the visit, a diplomatic challenge for the UK had been that Trump had been an enthusiastic fan of the King and the monarchy, but had criticised the UK's prime minister and its armed forces. The state visit had sought to build back bridges between the UK and US, beyond the focus on the royals.

"It's not a competition between the King and the government," said the royal aide. "The King is there to support the government, to help the government. It was at the government's request, of course, that he undertook this visit.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.