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joker trumps king
Britain's King Charles was full of jokes at the White House dinner, some of them not bad either
Jokes about colonialism, the French and a naked Winston Churchill were all part of the repertoire.
IN CASE YOU missed it, Britain’s King Charles III is in full charm offensive mode as part of a four-day state visit to the United States.
Last night’s White House state dinner was probably the glitziest part of the trip, with both President Trump and King Charles making toasts to a room of black-tied dignitaries.
Trump shouted out Rory McIlroy as part of his own speech, with the British monarch rattling through 15 minutes of diplomatic love-fest stuff truncated by quite a few jokes.
The jokes weren’t bad either and some were even playfully taking aim at Trump, an approach that isn’t often taken in the White House.
Here are some of the best gags from the monarch and the historical meaning behind them.
It’s all in a name
King Charles couldn’t help but rib the Americans in the room about the continued legacy of colonialism across their land by way of the use of the English language and place names across the US, picking out his favourite US cities whose names originate from his own family.
“And my family’s history remains reflected in your maps, which read rather like our Christmas card list across the ages,” Charles said.
North and South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and the cities of Charleston, a particular favourite of mine, obviously.Georgetown, and for that matter, Georgia, Annapolis, as you mentioned, and further favourites, Prince William County and Williamsburg.
The French connection
A lot of jokes from King Charles tonight.
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 29, 2026
“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” pic.twitter.com/9EyxNMLxCR
The best joke of the night was probably when Charles reminded Trump of his comments on the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year, which he then turned on the president.
“That said, our French friends can feel equally at home with a glance at a map (of the United States),” Charles said.
Indeed, 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.
Ballroom bants
King Charles: I cannot help noticing the readjustments to the East Wing. I'm sorry to say that we British of course made our own small attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814. pic.twitter.com/voqHeq0YlJ
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 29, 2026
Trump is currently spearheading a highly controversial redevelopment of the White House which has seen the historic East Wing of the building torn down to make way for a massive ballroom.
Charles has visited the White House before, sitting in the Oval Office with President Nixon way back in 1970, and couldn’t help a jibe about the construction works.
On this occasion, I cannot help noticing the readjustments to the East Wing Mr. President, following your visit to Windsor Castle last year. And I’m sorry to say that we British of course made our own small attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814.
What Charles is referencing here is what’s known as the Burning of Washington, when 40 years after US independence British forces sailed into the Chesapeake Bay and up the Patuxent River, then fought their way towards Washington.
As the US Senate states in its history section: “On August 24, using torches and gunpowder paste, they burned the Capitol, the president’s house, and other government buildings.”
“By the time a summer rainstorm doused the flames, the Capitol was barely more than a burned-out shell.”
Keeping the British end up
Not exactly a joke, but Charles most enjoyable anecdote involved a stark naked Winston Chrurchill and an unflappable Franklin D. Roosevelt.
There’s no clip going around of the story, but it’s from 7 minutes in the above video.
“It is not hard to see how important the relationship remains in matters both seen and unseen,” Charles said.
“My mother’s first prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill, understood this so well.
“But then he himself was half-American, a tradition of shared transatlantic heritage which I am pleased to say is alive and well in the White House today.”
“Indeed, such was the closeness that Sir Winston, while staying here in the White House, in those rooms you showed us upstairs, emerged naked from the bathtub to discover the door opening as President Roosevelt came in for a chat.”
With rapier wit, the president cast aside any embarrassment by declaring that the prime minister has nothing to conceal from the president of the United States.
Anyone for tea?
King Charles: Thank you, Mr. President and Mrs. Trump for your splendid dinner this evening, which, may I say, is a very considerable improvement on the Boston Tea Party. pic.twitter.com/8NbXHFc9Lu
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 29, 2026
Charles ended his speech with the usual pleasantries about thanking his hosts, before bring it back again to the revolutionary war of two-and-a-half centuries ago.
“Thank you, Mr. President and Mrs. Trump for your splendid dinner this evening, may I say is a very considerable improvement on the Boston Tea Party.”
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