King Charles commends Trump's 'courage and steadfastness' after assassination attempt

King Charles took the opportunity at Tuesday's state dinner at the White House to encourage a renewed UK-US partnership, offering a speech that was warmer and more personal than his historic address to Congress.

He marked the occasion by gifting President Donald Trump a symbolic naval artifact.

Addressing those gathered in Washington DC, the King emphasised that the United States and the United Kingdom share “a vital alliance that has been a staple of prosperity and security for both British and American people,” reaffirming their common history and ongoing strategic collaboration.

In a departure from his previous formal speech to Congress, his address on this occasion also mentioned the recent incident in Washington where a Secret Service member was harmed during an attempted political attack the previous weekend.

The King commended the response of US security staff and lauded President Trump’s “bravery and resilience.”

Golf champion Rory McIlroy, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and Apple leader Tim Cook were among the attendees at the dinner.

The King remarked that American spirit has long been characterized by “bravery, persistence, and a pioneering nature,” observing that throughout the years, the two nations have “engaged in trade, innovated, and created together,” and have “stood by one another in both good and challenging times.”

The King noted that in the face of a more unpredictable world environment, both countries now encounter challenges that call for rejuvenated cooperation.

“These challenges lead us to reaffirm, tonight, the foundation of our alliance,” he stated, highlighting defense partnerships and intelligence cooperation as central elements of their relationship.

He specifically pointed to the Aukus defense agreement with Australia as a model for modern security collaboration, depicting it as part of greater efforts to enhance deterrence and long-term peace.

The speech wrapped up with a ceremonial gesture that drew significant attention.

The King presented President Trump with the original bell from the conning tower of HMS Trump, a Royal Navy submarine that had served in the Pacific during the Second World War.

The Palace described the gift as a representation of “shared history and a bright future,” reminiscent of the Queen’s bicentennial presentation of the Liberty Bell during her 1976 visit to America.

In a lighter vein, the King joked that if either side needed to make contact, they could just “give us a ring,” eliciting laughs from the crowd.

The gesture was framed as an effort to underscore continuity from past to present transatlantic relations, with the King also mentioning historic meetings between US presidents and British monarchs over the years.

He informed the dinner that the alliance was now being “renewed” for a new era, stating: “Across the ocean and from coast to coast, we have traded, innovated, and created together.