Judging by the hearty guffaws that rang around the Capitol Hill chamber during King Charles’ history-making speech at US Congress on Tuesday, if it all goes awry at the Palace, Britain’s monarch could carve out a career in stand-up.
The 77-year-old King, currently with Queen Camilla on the first British state visit to the US since 2007, has arguably learned from the regal best.
His mother, the late Queen Elizabeth certainly wasn’t afraid of a jovial icebreaker while on US soil.
Addressing US Congress in May 1991, Elizabeth, head to toe in an eye-catching orange dress with matching hat, quipped: ‘I do hope you can see me today from where you are’.
At yesterday’s Congress speech, there were serious points aplenty from the King. Charles didn’t shy away from defending Nato’s role in global peace and reiterated the ‘unyielding resolve’ needed to protect Ukraine ‘and her most courageous people’.
Right royal chuckle: King Charles and Mr Trump share a laugh at the White House state dinner, where the monarch filled his speech with jokes – including about the Boston Tea Party
However, this 20-minute address from the lectern in the historic chamber of the Hall of the House of Representatives – and later at the state dinner – certainly showed his famously wry sense of humour remains very much intact.
Who laughed the loudest? President Trump was among them, suggesting the King’s bid to smooth over tetchy Anglo-US relations is going royally well.
‘I want to congratulate Charles on having made a fantastic speech today at Congress,’ Mr Trump said during his subsequent toast, adding: ‘He got the Democrats to stand. I’ve never been able to do that.’
Here’s all the jokes, quips and one-liners that landed in Washington D.C. on Tuesday at US Congress speech and the subsequent state dinner…
BRITAIN’S 19TH CENTURY FIRE STARTERS
One of the biggest chortles of the evening came when Charles referenced Britain’s 1812 attacks on the White House, the Capitol, and other D.C. buildings.
Leading in with how the White House had been transformed since his last visit in 2018, the King teased the President about his ‘readjustments’ to the East Wing, which is no longer standing.
The punchline swiftly hit when he added: ‘I’m sorry to say that we British, of course, made our own small attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814.’
The President also commended the speech that the King delivered to Congress earlier on Tuesday, saying ‘He got the Democrats to stand. I’ve never been able to do that.’
AMERICA’S BIRTH? ‘JUST ANOTHER DAY’
Another mention to America’s birth came a little later when he described the Founding Fathers as ‘bold and imaginative rebels with a cause’, quipping: ‘250 years ago, or, as we say in the United Kingdom “just the other day”, they declared independence.’
A TOAST AND A TEA PARTY GAG
The King threw in another crowd-pleasing wisecrack when he asked those gathered to raise a glass to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday.
Raising a toast, the King suggested the state dinner was ‘a very considerable improvement on the Boston Tea Party’.
RING MY BELL
King Charles presents President Trump with the bell from HMS Trump at the state dinner – and served up a little pun
President Trump looked emotional when the King presented him with the original bell from a British Second World War submarine called ‘HMS Trump’ on Tuesday evening.
The bell from the T-class vessel, which launched in 1944 and fought during the war in the Pacific, was the Royal Navy’s only ship to ever bear the name ‘Trump’. It later served in Australia and was scrapped in 1971 – but the bell was saved.
Charles told the US leader: ‘So tonight, Mr President, I am delighted to present to you – as a personal gift – the original bell which hung on the Conning Tower of your valiant namesake.
But Charles couldn’t resist a comedy pay-off, adding: ‘May it stand as a testimony to our Nations’ shared history and shining future. And should you ever need to get hold of us… well, just give us a ring!’
THE OSCAR WILDE ONE-LINER
The King kicked off his well-received address with an early quip from 19th century British wit Wilde, telling those gathered: ‘As Oscar Wilde said, “We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language.”
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Saved by the bell! King delivers lesson in diplomacy as he gifts President a bell from WWII Royal Navy submarine HMS Trump during state dinner
THE ‘SPEAKING FRENCH’ WISECRACK
The monarch also brought up the US’s colonial past, mentioning how President Trump had recently said, ‘that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German’.
‘Dare I say it, if it wasn’t for us, you’d be speaking French,’ Charles riposted, cracking up the President and his guests.
CHARLES DICKENS AND THE TWO GEORGES
There was more literary-inspired comedy with a reference to Charles Dickens, when the King reflected on his royal ancestor’s role in US history.
‘This is a city which symbolises a period in our shared history, or what Charles Dickens might have called “A Tale of Two Georges”: the first President, George Washington, and my five-times Great Grandfather, King George III.
The monarch followed up: ‘King George never set foot in America and, please rest assured, I am not here as part of some cunning rearguard action.
‘ANY VOLUNTEERS TO BE HELD HOSTAGE AT THE PALACE?
Touching on Britain’s quirkier political traditions, Charles explained how a Member of the Commons is ceremonially held hostage in Buckingham Palace while the King delivers his speech at the State Opening of Parliament every year – and called for potential volunteers from the room.
He told the audience: ‘These days, we look after our guest rather well – to the point that they often do not want to leave. I don’t know, Mr Speaker, if there were any volunteers for that role here today…?’
