King Charles will deliver a historic address to Congress today as pressure to meet with Jeffrey Epstein’s victims looms over his visit to the United States.
Charles and Queen Camilla have a jam-packed schedule for their second day in Washington, DC, which includes a bilateral meeting with Donald Trump, his address to Congress and a formal state dinner.
The king is expected to emphasize the two countries' long history and shared democratic values during his speech in an effort to help strengthen the special UK-US relationship, which has been under serious strain in recent months.
His remarks come amid calls for the king and queen to meet with Epstein survivors during their visit, which the royals have declined to do.
Charles' brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office amid the probe into Epstein files.
The visit is the most important foreign trip of the King’s reign so far, but it now has the added element of heightened security concerns after an attempted assassination of the president on Saturday.
After the royal couple wraps up in DC, they will head to New York to honor 9/11 victims and then to Virginia to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence.
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King Charles to deliver historic address to Congress
King Charles will deliver a historic address to Congress at 3pm ET today.
It is the first address from a British monarch since Queen Elizabeth's in 1991.
The king is expected to emphasize the two countries' long history and shared democratic values during his speech in an effort to help strengthen the special UK-US relationship, which has been under serious strain in recent months.
Sources told CNN that Charles will say that he brings 'the highest regard and friendship of the British people to the people of the United States.'
He will focus on the common ties between the two countries, including 'democratic, legal and social traditions' and that 'time and again, our two countries have always found ways to come together.'
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Jeffrey Epstein scandal looms over royal visit
King Charles and Queen Camilla have faced calls to meet with the victims of Jeffrey Epstein during their visit to the United States.
Charles' brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office amid the probe into Epstein files.
Representative Ro Khanna urged the king over the weekend to at least address the issue during his congressional speech.
Several of Epstein's victims, including family members of Virginia Giuffre, have also urged Charles to meet with them or address the issue.
'This is a missed opportunity,' Sky Roberts, Giuffre’s brother, told Sky News.
'It means something to look into a survivor’s eyes and say: "I promise to give you a fair and thorough investigation in this, and that does not matter if it’s my brother or if it’s other perpetrators out there. I, the King of England, stand with survivors."'
The royals are opting not to meet with the survivors because they conscious that a meeting may affect the results of British legal inquiries into Epstein’s close relationships with senior members of the British government and royal family, sources told CNN.