- The King sparked laughter in the chamber during his historic address to both houses on Capitol Hill. The royal told the assembled politicians the partnership between the two nations is “more important today than it has ever been”. He also cracked several jokes during the speech. Here’s five of them:
- The King received an early laugh when he quoted Oscar Wilde: “As Oscar Wilde said, ‘We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language’.
- His next laugh came when he referenced Charles Dickens: “This is a city which symbolises a period in our shared history, or what Charles Dickens might have called ‘A Tale of Two Georges’: the first President, George Washington, and my five-times Great Grandfather, King George III.
- The King then joked that his presence in the US "is not here as some cunning rearguard action." He said: “King George never set foot in America and, please rest assured, I am not here as part of some cunning rearguard action.
- He later added: “The Founding Fathers were bold and imaginative rebels with a cause.” Adding to laughter in the room: “250 years ago, or, as we say in the United Kingdom ‘just the other day’, they declared Independence.”
- The King sparked more laughter when he asked for volunteers to adopt the role of the MP who is held ceremonially held “hostage” at Buckingham Palace while the King delivers his speech at the State Opening of Parliament. “These days, we look after our guest rather well – to the point that they often do not want to leave. I don’t know, Mr Speaker, if there were any volunteers for that role here today…?” the King said.
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