Leadership lessons from the King’s Speech to Congress- 5 things King Charles III did that most executives forget

King Charles III's address to the US Congress in April 2026 demonstrated five communication principles that most senior executives overlook: using plain language over jargon, deferring to your audience before challenging them, disarming with humour, making your message memorable through storytelling, and addressing the people you’re looking to persuade — not just the room you're standing in. Each has a direct application for business leaders preparing for high-stakes communication moments.

Liam Fitzpatrick is the founder of Commswork, a communications consultancy. He has prepared senior executives for media appearances across ABC, Bloomberg, CNN, CNBC, Sky News, and the BBC.

There was a moment during his opening remarks, when King Charles III couldn’t hold back any longer. A reluctant, but satisfied grin broke out across his royal countenance. 

The humour had landed and opened up the room for him to land his key message.

Watching with my comms hat on, it was the charisma that was most remarkable, in the reigning monarch’s address to the US Congress this week.

Between the trips down shared empire lanes, and calls for ‘unity’ in our troubled times, the speech served as a masterclass. Senior business leaders should note how the head of state captured and maintained attention, delivered his message, with subtle subterfuge, all while leaning on language that ‘brings all peoples together’.

It was a lesson in diplomacy, welcoming many sides of a debate together, regardless of residual conflict between parties. 

Speak like a person you’re trying to influence

This may have been the King’s Speech, yet grandiose language and terms that seek to exclude (jargon) were reserved for another occasion. It was read from notes, but felt personal in its delivery. Conversational.

‘I would like, if I may, to take this opportunity to express my particular gratitude…’

His mission was diplomatic – to share with the US Government and people how the UK feels about their relationship. Like any out of favour friend, he nostalgically reminded the US what’s truly possible when the two nations join forces.

By connecting his personal religious leanings, with his dedicated mission to understand other faiths, Charles compassionately connected with the audience, no matter their background, while delivering his message without prejudice. 

Connecting with this range of audiences, required sticking to relatable, everyday language. With a few Britishisms thrown in for comedic effect. 

Too often public addresses read like an essay. Their purpose is to engage. So for senior business leaders aiming to reach the largest audience, your words need to be understood by anyone under 10, and inspire anyone over 15. If you have kids, rehearse with them. You’ll know when you’ve lost them. 

Deference - Earn the room

Getting the room onside is the hallmark of any great speech, whether you’re giving a conference keynote, a Best Man, or even the King of England.

‘This citadel of democracy’, ‘This renowned chamber of debate and deliberation’, even Donald Trump was paid homage, citing the President’s remarks of the bond of kinship and identity between the two nations being ‘priceless and eternal’. This was the height of his veiled nods towards the President’s recent actions and attitudes.

By front-loading the speech with celebratory comments on the shared history, the glorious heritage of this land's ‘extraordinary natural splendour’, the counsel that followed around America doing its duty, could be taken in better spirits. 

If you have a potentially contestable message, it’s worth being in credit with your audience, and hopefully the self-deprecating remarks will keep your approval rating as high as the King’s.

Disarm with charm 

I believe it was the Nobel Grunge Laureate, Billy Corgan, who once remarked ‘Disarm you with a smile’. However it was the Monarch from across the pond, deploying this tactic early and to enchanting effect.

“We really have everything in common with America nowadays, except of course language”.

By leading with Oscar Wilde’s dry wit, the tone was set. 

The King of England was full of smirks and shy smiles, reserving his unapologetic grin for his Dickensian quip tying the first US President with his five-time great-grandfather, under ‘A Tale of Two Georges’. 

Evolutionarily speaking, we’ve learned to laugh to develop our connections. We feel good after it. And societally speaking, we’re 30 times more likely to laugh with other people.

The boost in happy hormones, imparts a favourable emotion on the speaker too. In fact at a recent Toastmasters public speaking competition, the top three international finalists, achieved their positions in accordance with the number of laughs their 5-7 minutes speech received. I’ll leave you to debate whether it was causation…

Storytelling makes you memorable 

What does the Magna Carta have to do with 160 Supreme Court rulings?  Why is a British MP held hostage every year? King Charles III can entertainingly inform you, should you watch the entire speech. 

King Charles III asserted how the US Declaration of Independence, the cornerstone of its democratic principles, in fact relied on British doctrine, verbatim at times. 

He went further with pushing his messaging through storytelling craft, by weaving together his personal family lineage with reminders of shared democratic values, he covertly reminded the American government of its duty to the world.

“Our nations are in fact instinctively likeminded, a product of common democratic, legal and social traditions…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.”

At its best, storytelling brings the audience along for the journey, without preaching their own will on to others. 

Address your key audience

While the speech was addressed to the Speaker and the House of Representatives, this was a platform not to be wasted. 

No direct accusations were levelled, nor slanderous comments made. ‘We’re British after all’. The crisis communications team can be stood down for now.

But for anyone indoctrinated by a culture where getting your frustrated views across requires the politest tone, the ‘...by Jove Mr Speaker…’ emphasis, feels different. 

The King may have earlier credited the President, but throughout the speech, there was a (non-literal) call to arms for everyone else. Lavish praise for joint successes felt like Trojan Horsed pleasantries. Each comment was measured. 

Congress was reminded of their responsibility. To ‘deliberate and debate’ in the interests of ALL people. Commenting on the spirit of liberty, in the halls where they stood, should be present in every session and every vote cast. “Not by the will of one, but by the deliberation of many, representing the living mosaic of the United States”.

He reemphasised the value of Europe and NATO following the 9/11 atrocity.

‘...We answered the call together as our people have done for more than a century.’

His comments were for all governments, as well as the people watching at home - the implication being that there’s a Grand Canyon between where we currently are and where we need to be. 

It was a masterful display from our Head of the Commonwealth. Differing pacing for personal anecdotes, with his more intentional pleas for greater collaboration. 

At 94 words/min it felt even more deliberate than JFK’s infamous “Ask not what your country can do for you…” address. And its timing with the state of global relations, it couldn’t have been more needed.

Frequently asked questions

What communication techniques did King Charles III use in his Congress address? Charles III used five notable communication techniques: accessible everyday language rather than formal rhetoric, strategic deference to his audience before delivering any challenge, humour to lower the room's defences, storytelling to embed his core message in shared history, and indirect language that allowed his real argument to land without triggering direct opposition.

How can executives deliver a difficult message without losing their audience? The most effective approach is to build audience credit before issuing any challenge. This means opening with genuine acknowledgement, shared values, or praise - so that when a contestable point follows, the audience is already disposed to receive it. King Charles III's address to Congress is a strong case study: he spent the first third of the speech celebrating the US before making any implicit demands of it.

Why does humour matter in high-stakes presentations? Laughter creates a neurochemical response that makes an audience feel positively towards the speaker. Research found at Toastmasters International the top finishers in its public speaking competition generated the most audience laughter during their speeches. For executives, one well-placed moment of wit at the opening of a difficult presentation can shift the room's posture entirely.

What is the right pace for executive public speaking? Slower than most people default to under pressure. JFK delivered his inaugural “Ask not what your country can do for you…” address at 96.5 words per minute. King Charles III's Congress speech ran at approximately 94. For most executives, the challenge is resisting the urge to accelerate when nerves arrive, often where pace increases and their perceived authority drops accordingly.

Liam Fitzpatrick spent his early career in newsrooms, a useful place to learn how quickly a poorly prepared executive can lose a room. It’s rare they even realise it’s happening. He founded Commswork with nearly two decades working across communications in the UK and Australia, now preparing executives for media appearances that he describes as "the highest-leverage visibility moments available to any business leader."

His clients have appeared on Sky News, the ABC, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Channel 7, 9News and the Today Show. He has been quoted in Forbes and Mediaweek on crisis communications, and his own media appearances include a live Sky News segment on the Cambridge Analytica and Facebook scandal, that he stepped into just nine weeks into running his own agency.

He founded Commswork on a single observation: most leaders know what they want to say. Very few have mastered how to prepare an audience to receive it.