King Charles US visit live: Macron responds to ‘speaking French’ jibe at Trump ahead of final day of tour – UK Times

French President Emmanuel Macron chimed in with his own response after King Charles joked that the U.S. would be speaking French if it weren’t for the U.K.

“You recently commented, Mr. President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German,” Charles said Tuesday evening at the White House state dinner. “Dare I say that if it wasn’t for us, you’d be speaking French?”

Charles’ joke earned a big laugh from the audience. Early Wednesday, Macron shared his reaction on social media, writing, “That would be chic!”

As the King and Queen were in New York during their four-day state visit, the US president said the monarch was a “phenomenal representative for his country” and suggested he would have differed in his approach to the conflict from the prime minister.

He said: “The King loves his country, and he’s a great king, and he’s a great friend of mine. And I think if that it were up to him, he would have probably helped us with Iran.”

Superstar singer Lionel Richie has praised the King’s speech to the US Congress, describing Charles as a wise friend “giving advice as to what we should be doing”.

Richie was among a host of celebrity supporters of the King’s Trust who joined its founder and the Queen on Wednesday to celebrate the charity’s work and showcase the UK’s cultural impact on New York.

The gathering of stars, which included Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace, fashion guru Anna Wintour, British creative Stella McCartney and model Iman, came at the end of a whirlwind royal day in Manhattan.

The King and Queen began by declaring they stood “in enduring solidarity with the American people” when they commemorated those killed during the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Charles and Camilla’s words of sympathy were written in a message left with a bouquet of flowers placed at the imposing memorial in New York, honouring the thousands of people who lost their lives almost 25 years ago.

The post was captioned: “TWO KINGS,” complete with a crown emoji. However, Newsom’s Press Office Account on X was quick to suggest how he would have captioned it.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky shared a statement celebrating King Charles’ speech to Congress.

“I thank His Majesty King Charles III @RoyalFamily, the United Kingdom, and all valiant American hearts for this clarion call for unity in support of Ukraine across the Atlantic,” Zelensky wrote on social media.

“This is exactly what is needed to bring dignified and lasting peace to Ukraine and all of Europe. The people of Ukraine deeply appreciate all the support provided by the United Kingdom and the United States. Thank you,” he added.

The King discussed the war in Ukraine and called for unity as he spoke to a joint session of the US Congress on Tuesday afternoon.

“In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, when Nato invoked Article 5 for the first time and the United Nations Security Council was united in the face of terror, we answered the call together, as our people have done so for more than a century,” Charles said.

“Shoulder to shoulder through two world wars, the Cold War, Afghanistan, and moments that have defined our shared security. Today, Mr Speaker, that same unyielding resolve is needed for the defence of Ukraine and her most courageous people,” he continued.

King Charles and Queen Camilla spent a full day in New York, combining remembrance with public and diplomatic engagements during the third day of their US visit.

The royal couple paid tribute at the September 11 Memorial & Museum, laying flowers and meeting families of victims of the attacks.

Elsewhere, the King visited a community farming initiative in Harlem and later met business leaders at Rockefeller Centre, highlighting economic ties between the UK and the US.

The Queen, meanwhile, attended a literary event at the New York Public Library.

The day ended with a reception for The King’s Trust, where Charles underscored the enduring partnership between the two countries.

The visit is part of a four-day trip marking 250 years of American independence.

Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein held a roundtable on Capitol Hill after King Charles III declined to meet with them despite his brother’s connections to the reviled sex offender.

Rep Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), one of the lead sponsors of the legislation that led to the release of files related to Epstein, said ahead of the king’s joint address to Congress that the British monarch would address survivors in his address.

“I think it is a missed opportunity, and it would be a tone deaf for him not to speak to the plight of the survivors and the crimes of Epstein,” Khanna told reporters. “Especially given that we’re having this round table on the same day, given that we wrote a letter to him, given that the British ambassador has said that he plans to address the survivors.”

Anthoula Katsimatides, whose brother John died at the World Trade Centre, was among the 9/11 victims’ relatives who spoke with King Charles and Queen Camilla.

“I found it extremely sweet that I was allowed to hug the queen,” she told the Associated Press. “She was quite endearing, as was the king. I also told him that I thought he was adorable.”

Katsimatides said Charles told her he was surprised by how the memorial had changed in the 10 years since he last visited. She said Camilla asked her if she came to the memorial often.

“I said that I do because I find it to be a place of peace and calm and also remembrance, where I can remember my brother, John,” she said.

The Koh-i-Noor diamond has held a prominent place in Britain’s crown jewels since 1911, when it was set in a cross at the front of Queen Mary’s crown. It was later replaced by a replica in 1937 when the huge diamond was moved to the Queen Mother’s crown for her and King George VI’s coronation.

New York City mayor Zohran ​Mamdani said on Wednesday that would encourage King Charles to return the 105.6-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond to India.

Mr Mamdani made the remark during King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit to the US, with the third day spent in New York.

The British embassy in Washington shared pictures of King Charles III’s engagement with industry leaders and investors at a UK-US Trade and Business event at Rockefeller Centre.

It noted that UK companies employ more than 112,000 people, supporting around $8 billion in two-way trade in goods in New York alone.

“In total, we invest over $1.7 trillion in each other’s economies, supporting more than 2.5 million jobs (over 1 million in each country),” it shared.