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Published : 29 Apr 2026, 11:02 PM
King Charles III has used a high-profile state dinner at the White House to deliver a witty rebuttal to President Donald Trump, suggesting that Americans would be "speaking French" today if not for British colonial history.
The monarch’s quip delivered on Tuesday was a direct response to the American leader’s claims that European nations would have been forced to adopt the German language without US intervention during World War II, reports France 24.
During the evening’s toasts, the 77-year-old King referenced Trump's January remarks at the Davos summit, where the president asserted that Europe would be speaking "German and a little Japanese" without American military might.
"Dare I say that, if it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking French," the King countered, according to France 24.
He was referring to the 18th-century rivalry between Britain and France for control of North America prior to the United States' independence 250 years ago.
The monarch further amused guests by poking fun at Trump’s $400 million renovation of the White House East Wing.
Charles noted that the British had conducted their own "real estate redevelopment" of the building in 1814, a cheeky nod to when British troops set the executive mansion ablaze, People magazine reported.
Despite the lighthearted atmosphere, the visit served as a critical diplomatic "charm offencive" following recent friction between the president and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer over Middle Eastern policy.
As a gesture of goodwill, the King presented Trump with a historical artifact: the bell from the HMS Trump, a British submarine commissioned in 1944.
"Should you ever need to get hold of us, well, just give us a ring," Charles told the president to widespread applause, reported France 24.
The British king was on an official visit to the United States.
The four-day state visit concludes as a symbolic effort to reinforce the "special relationship" between London and Washington amid a shifting geopolitical landscape, international media reported.
