King Charles to Avoid Harry in Congress Speech
King Charles is preparing to address the United States Congress during the King and Queen’s upcoming state visit, with the wording expected to steer clear of several highly sensitive royal and political flashpoints. The speech is being framed as a key moment in a diplomatic push to steady relations between London and Washington.
GB News reported that the King’s Congressional remarks are expected to avoid mentioning Prince Harry, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and the Epstein scandal, as well as issues including the Iran conflict and Harry’s visa controversy, with drafting work continuing until late last week.
According to the report, the 77-year-old monarch has been refining the address at Highgrove in recent days, with multiple versions of the text said to have passed between Buckingham Palace and Downing Street. A source quoted by the outlet said overseas engagements of this kind are carried out “on behalf of the Government of the day”, while palace officials were described as retaining final control over the wording as the “holder of the pen”.
The address is expected to sit at the centre of a four-day programme in the United States, and comes as royal and government teams assess security and operational planning following an incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. It also follows recent Britpop News reporting that the King was kept informed after the event and expressed relief that those present were unharmed.
The King and Queen are due to depart for the trip imminently, with Foreign Secretary Ms Yvette Cooper set to accompany them while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is not expected to travel. Royal aides have indicated the speech will reflect the UK government’s position on major international issues, while remaining tightly calibrated to avoid drawing new attention to controversies that could distract from the wider diplomatic aims.
