What Binds Britain and America?

“The story of Britain and America is one of reconciliation, from adversaries to the closest of allies; not always, perhaps, following the straightest path.” That line summarized the theme of King Charles’s two major speeches yesterday during his four-day state visit to the United States.

It was the first time a British monarch had addressed Congress since Queen Elizabeth ii did so in 1991. King Charles said:

With the Spirit of 1776 in our minds, we can perhaps agree that we do not always agree—at least in the first instance! Indeed, the very principle on which your Congress was founded—no taxation without representation—was at once a fundamental disagreement between us, and at the same time a shared democratic value, which you inherited from us.

Ours is a partnership born out of dispute, but no less strong for it. … Mr. Speaker, when we have found that way to agree, what great change is brought about—not just for the benefit of our peoples, but of all peoples.

Speaking later at the White House State Dinner, the King acknowledged the recent divisions that have sprung up between the two, joking:

When my mother visited in 1957, not the least of her tasks was to help put the “special” back into our relationship after a crisis in the Middle East. Nearly 70 years on, it is hard to imagine anything like that happening today.

He presented President Trump with a unique gift: the bell from the conning tower of hms Trump, a World War ii-era submarine. “May it stand as a testimony to our nations’ shared history and shining future,” he said. “And should you ever need to get hold of us … well, just give us a ring!”

• The King graciously praised both America and the relationship. “For 250 years, the ingenuity and imagination of the people of the United States have been an inspiration to the world,” he said.

But why has America and its partnership with Britain been so successful? The King had one good answer, telling Congress:

Our common ideals were not only crucial for liberty and equality. They are also the foundation of our shared prosperity. The rule of law: the certainty of stable and accessible rules, an independent judiciary resolving disputes and delivering impartial justice.

America inherited basic principles of justice and freedom from Britain, but from whom did Britain inherit them? These civilization-defining principles are rooted in the Bible!

• These virtues trace back to Britain and America’s shared history with God. It’s that shared history that explains these nations’ greatness.

Herbert W. Armstrong described that history in his free book The United States and Britain in Prophecy. It is the only way you can understand these nations, world history and what God is doing on Earth today.