The King Charles III elegantly and humorously returned a historical jab to President Donald Trump during the state dinner held on Tuesday in the East Room of the White House, eliciting general laughter among the attendees with a response that combined diplomacy and irony.
The moment occurred when the British monarch responded to a comment that Trump had made earlier, in which the president stated that without the intervention of the United States, European countries would be speaking German.
Carlos III did not miss the opportunity: “I dare say that if it weren't for us, you would be speaking French”, the king said to the room, which responded with laughter.
The monarch concluded the joke with a note of diplomatic courtesy: "Of course, we both care a lot for our French cousins."
The allusion is based on historical fact: during the Franco-British wars of the 18th century and the Napoleonic Wars, Great Britain was the main obstacle to French expansion in North America, particularly during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). Without that British victory, French influence on the American continent could have been significant.
Trump's remark about the German language was not new to his administration's rhetoric. The White House spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, had used a similar argument in March 2025, when she stated that "it is only thanks to the United States of America that the French are not speaking German at this moment", in response to French MEP Raphaël Glucksmann, who had called for the return of the Statue of Liberty.
Carlos III also took the opportunity in his speech to joke about the "rearrangements" in the east wing of the White House, which Trump had demolished to build a 400 million dollar ballroom.
The gala dinner, which featured French cuisine and American wines, is part of the state visit of Carlos III and Queen Camilla to Washington, taking place from April 27 to 30, 2026, and marks the first visit by a British monarch to the United States since Queen Elizabeth II visited Washington in 2007, during the presidency of George W. Bush.
On Tuesday, Carlos III also delivered a historic speech before the U.S. Congress, marking only the second time a British monarch has addressed a joint session of Congress, following Isabel II in 1991.
"Standing here today, it is hard not to feel the weight of history on my shoulders," the king declared before the lawmakers.
The visit takes place against a backdrop of tensions between London and Washington, with frictions arising from the conflict with Iran and trade disputes driven by the Trump administration. Analysts have described it as one of the most delicate diplomatic moments of King Charles III's reign.
Trump announced the visit on April 1 via a message on Truth Social, describing it as "historic."
Security has been tightened for the events during the visit following a shooting that took place in Washington during the White House Correspondents' Dinner last Sunday, which Trump also attended.
After the events in Washington, Charles III and Queen Camilla traveled to Bermuda, a British Overseas Territory, marking the king's conclusion of his address to Congress with a call for the transatlantic alliance: "I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values with our partners in Europe and the Commonwealth of Nations."
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