Monarchs who addressed US Congress

Ahead of King Charles’s address to the US Congress, we take a look at other monarchs who have spoken to the American legislature.

Eleven monarchs have addressed a joint session of Congress (Senate and House of Representatives). The first to address Congress was King Kalakaua of Hawaii on 18 December 1874, roughly two decades before Hawaii was annexed by the US. It became a state in 1959.

Next were Queen Juliana of the Netherlands on 3 April 1952 and Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia on 28 May 1954. King Baudouin of Belgium addressed the legislature on 12 May 1959, and King Mahendra of Nepal the following year on 28 April. Queen Juliana was the first female leader to speak to Congress.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej addressing the US Congress in 1960. By Unknown author – [1], Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

King Juan Carlos of Spain spoke to Congress less than a year after ascending the throne upon the death of the Spanish dictator, Francisco Franco. His speech took place on 2 June 1976.

Juliana’s daughter, Queen Beatrix, followed in her mother’s footsteps on 21 April 1982.

The most well-known monarch to address the US Congress was the late Queen Elizabeth II, who received a standing ovation and rapturous applause throughout her speech on 16 May 1991.

King Hussein of Jordan spoke to Congress on 26 July 1994, and his son, King Abdullah, addressed Congress on 7 March 2007.

King Charles III will be added to this list on his state visit to the United States in late April 2026.