'Without Us, You Would Be Speaking French': King Charles Jokes With Trump At White House State Dinner

 

New Delhi : Britain's King Charles III on Tuesday shared a light moment with US President Donald Trump in Washington during a White House state dinner, joking that without the British, Americans would be speaking French.

During their dinner toasts, both leaders exchanged humour, with Charles referring to Trump's earlier remarks about European allies relying on US defence support since World War II.

Britain's King Charles III Jokes With Trump At White House State Dinner (White House/YT)

"You recently commented, Mr President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German. Dare I say that, if it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking French," Charles quipped.

The King was talking about places with British and French origins in North America, where the rival colonial powers battled for control of the continent before US independence 250 years ago.

 

Meanwhile, in a post on 'X', French President Emmanuel Macron said, " That would be chic!" on King Charles III joking with Americans that they would be speaking French during a White House state dinner.

Earlier at the Davos summit in January, Trump said that without US help in World War II, "you'd be speaking German and a little Japanese."

 

But the King's lighthearted remark reflected the warm tone as he and Trump bonded over the "special relationship" between London and Washington, despite tensions over the war in Iran. He made further jokes at Trump's expense, saying he could not help noticing the "readjustments" to the White House East Wing, which the former real estate tycoon has demolished to build a giant $400 million ballroom.

"I am sorry to say that we British, of course, made our own attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814," he said, when British soldiers torched the building. Charles also quipped that the dinner was "a very considerable improvement on the Boston Tea Party," when colonists dumped shiploads of taxed British tea into the sea in 1773.

 

Charles is on a four-day visit to the US, intended to both celebrate American independence and to repair the country's fraying relationship with the UK. He hardly arrived in Washington as an oppositional figure to Trump. Joined by Queen Camilla, Charles had a warm greeting with the president and first lady Melania Trump at the White House earlier Tuesday.

 

Trump, an avid fan of the British royals whose mother hailed from Scotland, saved most of his humour for domestic targets. "I want to congratulate Charles on having made a fantastic speech today at Congress," Trump said. "He got the Democrats to stand -- I've never been able to do that."