King Charles US visit live: Trump welcomes royal couple to state dinner and commends monarch’s earlier speech to Congress

King Charles’ joke about President Donald Trump’s White House renovations has made the rounds on social media.

“Today is the day I realized King Charles was hilarious,” political strategist Josh Holmes wrote on X.

NBC News’ senior White House correspondent Garrett Haake posted: “The King’s got jokes!”

During his remarks at tonight’s state dinner, Charles joked about Trump’s demolition of the White House’s East Wing to make room for his new ballroom.

“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 anyway,” he said as the audience laughed.

British forces burned the White House and several other government buildings in August 1814, during the War of 1812.

President Donald Trump is well-known fan of gold — but he might find an old hunk of brass he received from King Charles III on Tuesday to be just as precious as that precious metal.

King Charles earned a laugh from the audience as he concluded his remarks with a joke about the Boston Tea Party.

“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,” he said.

“Whether your cup contains tea, wine, scotch whiskey, bourbon or even Cola, let us raise our glasses and voices as we toast the past, the present and the future of our two proud and allied nations. To the United States and the United Kingdom. God bless both our countries,” he continued.

King Charles gifted President Donald Trump with a bell from the HMS Trump, a submarine that was launched from a U.K. shipyard in 1944 during World War II.

“May it stand as a testimony to our nation’s shared history and shining future — and should you ever need to get hold of us, just give us a ring,” Charles said as the audience laughed.

“On this occasion, I cannot help noticing the readjustments to the East Wing, Mr. President, following your visit to Windsor Castle last year,” the King said.

“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 anyway,” Charles continued.

British forces burned the White House and several other government buildings in August 1814, during the War of 1812.

Charles later included another joke about a recent remark Trump made.

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

President Donald Trump offered a toast to King Charles — and America’s 250th anniversary — at tonight’s state dinner.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I offer a toast to 250 years of American freedom and, very importantly, to a great man, His Majesty King Charles III. Thank you very much,” Trump said.

President Donald Trump is speaking now at the White House state dinner.

Trump kicked off his address by praising King Charles’ speech to Congress, which received a standing ovation earlier Tuesday.

“I want to congratulate Charles on having made a fantastic speech today at Congress. He got the Democrats to stand. I’ve never been able to do that,” he told attendees.

Several members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet are attending tonight’s state dinner at the White House.

The group includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

At tonight’s state dinner, first lady Melania Trump was seen wearing a pale delphinium pink silk strapless gown from Christian Dior, along with off-white suede gloves and pale delphinium silk pumps.

Queen Camilla is wearing a deep pink Fiona Clare gown paired with an amethyst and diamond necklace gifted by a former Duchess of Kent to Queen Victoria.