King Charles tells US Congress faith is his 'anchor and daily inspiration'

King Charles receives one of many standing ovations during his address to Congress

King Charles told a joint session of the US Congress on Tuesday that his Christian faith was his "firm anchor and daily inspiration"; how he was committed to interfaith understanding and prayed for peace to prevail over war through a generosity of spirit. Marking the 250th anniversary of American independence with a four-day state visit, he also underlined his faith in a rules-based international order, in NATO, and re-affirmed his passionate advocacy for the environment.

He said: "For many here and for myself, the Christian faith is a firm anchor and daily inspiration that guides us not only personally, but together as members of our community. Having devoted a large part of my life to interfaith relationships and greater understanding, it is that faith in the triumph of light over darkness which I have found confirmed countless times.

"Through it, I am inspired by the profound respect that develops as people of different faiths grow in their understanding of each other. It is why it is my hope, my prayer, that in these turbulent times, working together and with our international partners, we can stem the beating of ploughshares into swords.

"I am mindful that we are still in the season of Easter, the season that most strengthens my hope. It is why I believe with all my heart that the essence of our two nations is a generosity of spirit and a duty to foster compassion, to promote peace, to deepen mutual understanding, and to value all people of all faiths and of none."

The King noted: "We meet in times of great uncertainty, in times of conflict, from Europe to the Middle East, which pose immense challenges for the international community and whose impact is felt in communities the length and breadth of our own countries.

We stand united in our commitment to uphold democracy, to protect all our people from harm."

He remarked that the UK and the USA were "like-minded, a product of the common democratic, legal and social traditions in which our governance is rooted to this day.

"The Founding Fathers united 13 disparate colonies to forge a nation on the revolutionary idea of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They carried forward the great inheritance of the British Enlightenment, as well as the ideals which had an even deeper history in English common law and Magna Carta.

"The US Supreme Court Historical Society has calculated that Magna Carta is cited in at least 160 Supreme Court cases since 1789, not least as the foundation of the principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances."

The King recalled that a "stone by the River Thames at Runnymede, where Magna Carta was signed in the year 1215, records that an acre of that ancient and historic site was given to the United States of America by the people of the United Kingdom to symbolise our shared resolve in support of liberty and in memory of President John F Kennedy."

He said: "Our vibrant, diverse and free societies give us our collective strength, including to support victims of some of the ills that tragically exist in both our societies."

The King noted that the alliance of the two nations, built over the centuries, "is part of Kennedy's soaring vision of an Atlantic partnership based on twin pillars: Europe and America. That partnership, I believe, is more important today than it has ever been.

"The first reigning British sovereign to set foot in America was my grandfather, King George VI. The forces of fascism in Europe were on the march, and some time before, the United States had joined us in the defence of freedom. Our shared values prevailed.

"The challenges we face are too great for any one nation to bear alone. But in this unpredictable environment, our alliance cannot rest on past achievements or assume that foundational principles simply endure.

King Charles noted that this year marked the 25th anniversary of 9/11. He said: "This atrocity was a defining moment for America, and your pain and shock were felt around the whole world. We stand with you in solemn remembrance of a day that shall never be forgotten."

(The King and Queen visited New York yesterday to pay their respects to victims, their families and the emergency services.)

He continued: "In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when NATO invoked Article Five for the first time, and the United Nations Security Council was united in the face of terror, we answered the call together, as our people have done so for more than a century, shoulder to shoulder through two world wars, the Cold War, Afghanistan, and moments that defined our shared security.

"Today, that same unyielding resolve is needed for the defence of Ukraine and her most courageous people. It is needed in order to secure a truly just and lasting peace."

The King added, 'From the depths of the Atlantic to the disastrously melting ice caps of the Arctic, the commitment and expertise of the United States Armed Forces and its allies lie at the heart of NATO - pledged to each other's defence, protecting our citizens and interests, keeping North Americans and Europeans safe from our common adversaries.'

He said: "We celebrate the $430 billion in annual trade that continues to grow. The $1.7 trillion in mutual investment that fuels that innovation, and the millions of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic, supported across both economies. Our ties in education, research and cultural exchange empower citizens and future leaders of both countries."

Turning to his passion for environmental protection, he urged, 'We must also reflect on our shared responsibility to safeguard nature, our most precious and irreplaceable asset.

"{Even as we celebrate the beauty that surrounds us, our generation must decide how to address the collapse of critical natural systems, which threatens far more than the harmony and essential diversity of nature. We ignore at our peril the fact that these natural systems - in other words, nature's own economy - provide the foundation for our prosperity and our national security."

With an unspoken acknowledgement of a renewed spirit of American isolationism, King Charles said: "I pray with all my heart that our alliance will continue to defend our shared values with our partners in Europe and the Commonwealth and across the world, and that we ignore the clarion calls to become ever more inward-looking.

"America's words carry weight and meaning, as they have since independence. The actions of this great nation matter even more. President Lincoln understood this so well with his reflection in the magisterial Gettysburg Address, that the world may little note what we say, but will never forget what we do.

"And so to the United States of America, on your 250th birthday, let our two countries re-dedicate ourselves to each other in the selfless service of our peoples and of all the peoples of the world.

"God bless the United States and God bless the United Kingdom."

Watch the speech on AP News: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhoflAu-Lls