King Charles to address a joint meeting of Congress
The British monarch is expected to meet with top congressional leaders.
King Charles III of the United Kingdom addresses a joint meeting of Congress Tuesday afternoon during his first visit to the United States as the British monarch.
The address is part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence from Great Britain, but comes amid renewed scrutiny over the protection of dignitaries and government officials in Washington following the attempted breach of security at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on Saturday night.
"We believe an Address to Congress will provide a unique opportunity to share your vision for the future of our special relationship and reaffirm our alliance at this pivotal time in history," Speaker Mike Johnson and other top congressional leaders wrote in an invitation to the king earlier this month.
Asked about the king's visit on Monday, Johnson said "it's a very important visit at a very important time."
"He'll be welcomed with open arms, and he, I think he'll address celebrating with us our independence and also emphasizing that special relationship," Johnson said.
The king is expected to meet with Johnson and top bipartisan congressional leaders before his address, where he will be announced into the chamber similarly to the president of the United States at the State of the Union.
The king will be led into the chamber by the House Sergeant at Arms, William McFarland, who will announce per protocol, "Mr. Speaker, the King of the United Kingdom, Charles III."
There will be plenty of pomp and show, including a bipartisan escort committee that trails the king as he makes his way to the speaker's rostrum. Supreme Court justices, the diplomatic corps and president's Cabinet are all invited to attend as well. Vice President JD Vance is expected to sit alongside Johnson atop the rostrum.
During the joint meeting, members of Congress may try to "hog the aisle" to get a moment gripping and grinning with the king.
Saturday's breach at the White House correspondents' dinner raises more questions about the country's recent string of political violence -- including multiple attempts to assassinate President Donald Trump in 2024; the 2022 attack on Paul Pelosi, husband of then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi; the 2025 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk; the 2025 attacks on Minneapolis lawmakers; and an incident earlier this year where a man carrying a loaded shotgun ran at the Capitol before surrendering to officers guarding the perimeter of the building.
Lawmakers face a heightened threat level, prompting the U.S. Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan to seek record-level appropriations for fiscal year 2027 that exceed $1 billion.
Outside of the chamber, Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna will try to turn the focus to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by holding a roundtable with advocates and victims of Epstein ahead of the address. It comes after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the king's brother, appeared to share sensitive information with Epstein stemming from his role as the U.K. trade envoy and appeared to discuss potential business dealings with Epstein while working for the British government, emails released by the U.S. Department of Justice suggest.
Khanna, who worked with Republican Rep. Thomas Massie on a bipartisan discharge petition to release the Epstein files, requested that the king meet with Epstein victims during his visit to the U.S. next week.
"A meeting with survivors would provide an opportunity to identify any additional information British institutions and individuals may be able to share and open a dialogue about whether there will be a full accounting of how Epstein's and Maxwell's network operated in the United Kingdom," Khanna wrote in a letter sent to the king last month.
The king's lawyer has confirmed that he will not meet with Epstein survivors during his visit to the U.S. for fear of prejudicing ongoing police investigations in the U.K.