As King Charles III delivered a historic address to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday, emphasizing that executive power must remain “subject to checks and balances,” the White House drew attention online with a contrasting message on social media. The White House’s official account on X posted a photo of the King alongside U.S. President Donald Trump, captioned “TWO KINGS,” followed by a crown emoji. The image appeared to show the pair sharing a light moment earlier in the day on the White House grounds. The post comes amid broader scrutiny of the optics surrounding the state visit, which has drawn attention online over perceived breaks with Royal protocol. Trump officials acknowledged a flag mix-up ahead of the visit, mistakenly placing several Australian flags near the White House instead of British ones, according to a D.C. Department of Transportation official. Fifteen Australian flags were briefly included among more than 230 flags displayed to welcome the King, who is also Australia’s head of state. The flags were later replaced with those of the United Kingdom. The visit itself is taking place under heightened attention, as the four-day trip marks the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence and comes at a time of political tension between Washington and London.
