Le roi Charles III et Donald Trump lors du dîner d'État à la Maison Blanche, le 29 avril 2026
King Charles III gave Donald Trump a taste of his own medicine on Tuesday during a state dinner at the White House, humorously stating that Americans would be speaking French if the British had not also colonized North America.
A reference to the remarks made in January at the Davos summit by the American president to the Europeans: without American support during the Second World War, "you would be speaking German and a little bit of Japanese," he had declared.
In a speech delivered in the opulent setting of the White House, Charles III, who has been receiving visitors on a state visit since Monday, spoke of the British and French origins of many place names in the United States, due to the settlement, long ago, of colonists from the two former rival powers.
"You recently stated, Mr. President, that without the United States, European countries would speak German. Dare I say that without us you would speak French," the sovereign remarked, prompting laughter from the audience.
The king also joked about the White House's "adjustments" regarding the expensive ballroom project championed by the Republican billionaire.
"I regret to say that we British did, of course, attempt our own real estate redevelopment project of the White House in 1814," he declared. That year, soldiers of the kingdom had set fire to the building.
Charles III also teased his allies by considering this dinner "a considerable improvement over the Boston Tea Party," when in 1773 colonists had thrown cargoes of heavily taxed British tea into the sea.
Donald Trump, for his part, targeted his opponents with his own brand of humor. "I want to congratulate Charles on giving a fantastic speech today in Congress," he said. "He got the Democrats on their feet, something I've never been able to do."
Charles III and Donald Trump both praised the "special relationship" between London and Washington, despite disagreements over the war in Iran.
The king presented his interlocutor with a gift: the bell from a ship aptly named HMS Trump, a British submarine commissioned in 1944. He said, "May it bear witness to the shared history of our nations and their bright future. And if you ever need to contact us, please do not hesitate to ring us."
AFP
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