King Charles backs AUKUS defence pact in address to US Congress

King Charles has backed the trilateral AUKUS partnership and described it as the “most ambitious submarine program in history” in his historic address to US Congress.

“Today, thousands of US service personnel, defence officials and their families are stationed in the United Kingdom, as British personnel serve with equal pride across thirty American states,” he said.

“We are building F-35s together. And we have agreed the most ambitious submarine program in history – AUKUS – in partnership with Australia, a country of which I am also immensely proud to serve as Sovereign.

“We do not embark on these remarkable endeavours together out of sentiment.

“We do so because they build greater shared resilience for the future, so making our citizens safer for generations to come.”

The King’s address to US lawmakers is the first by a UK monarch in more than three decades. His comments on AUKUS come a day after a British parliamentary inquiry found the $368bn pact was at risk due to a lack of strong “political leadership”.

It called on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to “take a more visible role in promoting and driving forward AUKUS to counter the political drift that could see it derailed”.

But Anthony Albanese dismissed the concerns, telling reporters in Canberra this week: “There is support overwhelmingly from the British government, from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as well as from the defence personnel in the United Kingdom.”

“AUKUS is, to quote (President Donald Trump), full steam ahead. And I’m very confident that it will be so,” the Prime Minister said.

Defence Minister Richard Marles echoed the same sentiment, telling Sky News recurring scrutiny of the defence pact was “important”.

“Firstly, that review that was done in the UK was very supportive of AUKUS,” Mr Marles said.

“That’s the first point to make, and it emphasises the support that exists in all three countries for this program.

“That the program is put under constant scrutiny again in all three countries is an important thing to happen as well, and this is a part of that.

“I’m sure that the recommendations that it is making will be picked up by the UK Government, but what I would say is we’re working really well with the UK Government at our end.”

He said Australia was “really comfortable” that AUKUS was on track.