Well, he played a blinder.

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King Charles’ speech to the US Congress hit every mark. Warm, funny, factual, fraternal, sometimes bold and definitely smart.

His much shorter address at the State banquet was charming, with a couple of lines bordering on stand-up comedy - “If it wasn’t for us you’d be speaking French”. A retort to President Trump’s rant weeks ago about America’s intervention in WW2 and us speaking German. And all this from a King whose family name is really Saxe-Coburg Gothe. Soft power or brass neck? He needed a bit of both on this visit.

A couple of days ago, Emily Maitlis, co-host of Global’s The News Agents, revealed a person close to the King and his planning for Washington had told her Charles would focus on our shared civilisation and values as a way to reflect on the past and present relationship between our two nations.

Boy, oh boy, did he ever!

Acknowledging you have a problem is the first step to finding a solution. The King wasn’t messing about. He spoke of the uncertainty of this moment, addressed the wars in the Middle East and in Europe, speaking with affection and respect for the people of Ukraine. He also alluded to the attempted attack on the President last weekend.

Varying degrees of regular applause punctuated his speech. Some of the loudest came when he described America’s Founding Fathers as “bold and imaginative rebels with a cause”. He characterised our relationship, I thought, as a kind of elder sibling who now sees clearly the achievements of the younger partner.

He noted that British legal principles were "reiterated, often verbatim" in the American Bill of Rights. He referenced the 1689 Declaration of Rights and the Magna Carta (1215) to emphasise that executive power is subject to the law of the land. That got him a standing ovation in a political chamber where more often half the members stay in their seats.

He praised the NATO alliance, reminding anyone who needed reminding that its members came to America’s aid after the 9/11 attacks. He quoted Sir Keir Starmer, calling him ‘my Prime Minister’. A small but important bit of cheerleading for a PM frequently derided by the President.

The King is unmoved by ‘drill baby drill, and without saying as much, he emphasised care for the planet and its environment. To his credit, he was a ‘bold and imaginative rebel with a cause’ in this area long before it was common to be concerned.

We already knew King Charles liked a laugh. He didn’t disappoint. He joked US independence was "just the other day" for a nation as old as Great Britain and that he wasn't engaged in a "cunning rearguard action" to reestablish British rule.

When he said, “America's words carry weight and meaning, as they have since independence. The actions of this great nation matter even more,” that felt like a careful plea to his host to be wise in all things. Let’s hope he was listening.

Chapeau!, Your Majesty.

© LBC