After 30 Years Covering the Royals, I Felt Something Different Watching King Charles in Congress
After 30 Years Covering the Royals, I Felt Something Different Watching King Charles in Congress
Simon PerryFri, May 1, 2026 at 4:51 PM UTC
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Simon Perry; Queen Camilla and King CharlesCredit: Courtesy of Simon Perry; Samir Hussein/WireImage -
PEOPLE's Simon Perry was on the ground for King Charles and Queen Camilla's visit to the United States, including being among the 1,000 in the room when the monarch gave a historic address to Congress
It was only the second time in history that a British monarch addressed Congress
Perry counted at least 20 breaks for applause, doubling the speech's planned time
We have plenty of our own heritage-rich buildings back in the U.K., and I’ve been fortunate enough to report from many of them when covering the royal family — including perhaps that most famous 1,000-year-old castle at Windsor.
But sitting high up in the gallery as I joined more than 1,000 spectators crammed in to hear King Charles speak in the iconic Capitol on April 28, I thought it was an equal to any of those grand venues at home.
As a Brit proudly working for PEOPLE and now finding myself covering the King and Queen on American soil, I was privileged to be in the room to capture and absorb the emotions and comments of King Charles’ landmark speech – only the second time a British monarch has done so to a joint meeting of Congress.
Before King Charles had been heralded at the door of the chamber in that most hallowed hall to democracy, the floor of the House and the gallery above had been excitedly echoing with anticipation as people took their seats.
King Charles addresses Congress at the U.S. Capitol on April 28, 2026Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage
Over the next nearly 40 minutes, they heard a speech that was largely the message of his elected government. So, the King stressed the importance of NATO and how we’re better off in enduring alliances than apart. There were references to Christian faith and the Magna Carta and — drawing one of the many breaks for applause — supportive words on the crucial tenet of checks and balances.
To the delight of those lawmakers and their families and friends watching, King Charles added his own flourishes, and most observers who hadn’t heard many of his speeches before were impressed by his combination of wisdom with wit. The war that ended the rule of the redcoats was dubbed the “tale of two Georges,” and perhaps his most memorable quip about the date of that independence: 250 years ago, or “as we say, just the other day.”
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It went down triumphantly. I counted at least 20 breaks for applause, doubling the planned 20-minute length.
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King Charles delivers a joint address to Congress on April 28, 2026Credit: Jabin Botsford/For The Washington Post via Getty
It’s not easy to appeal to people on both sides of the aisle and give them both something they think they can go away with. But my sense — and certainly from evidence shown by that enthusiasm from both sides — was that the King pulled that off.
On the way through the Capitol, we shared an elevator with a couple and their two young children who, in years to come, will no doubt be told they were in that “citadel to democracy” when history was being made.
Just as I’ll be passing that on...
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