Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Tea, flyovers and big hats: The royals are in town

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On Politics

Tue Apr 28 2026

Kathryn Palmer | Politics Reporter

@KathrynPlmr

Hello readers and welcome back to On Politics. Kathryn Palmer here. It's Tuesday, a banner day for the British royals' state visit. We've been covering the king and queen's visit all day, and will continue to do so through tonight. Here's the latest.

Tea, flyovers and big hats: The royals are in town

King Charles III is expected to deliver a rare address to a joint session of Congress this afternoon, and Capitol Hill is brimming with anticipation.

And for good reason: a British monarch has only delivered a speech to U.S. lawmakers once before, and it was more than 30 years ago. To put it in perspective, Queen Elizabeth II addressed Congress in 1991 − more than five years before the House's youngest representative, Maxwell Frost, was born.

The king will be speaking to members of the House and Senate amid heightened geopolitical tensions between the United States and the United Kingdom, including clashes over the war in Iran. Charles' remarks are expected to discuss the United Kingdom’s relationship with the United States over the last 250 years and how the two nations have worked together, an official with knowledge of the address told USA TODAY.

Many leading lawmakers got their taste of royal pomp and circumstance yesterday afternoon during tea and garden parties welcoming the royal pair.

The speech will begin at 3 p.m. ET, followed by what will surely be a lavish state dinner at the White House.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla disembark the plane on arrival for a state visit to the United States at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on April 27, 2026.

Eric Lee, REUTERS

A politics roundup:

•	Has Homeland Security funding bill passed? Here's the latest on the partial shutdown
•	Do Americans still love the British royals, or have attitudes shifted?
•	What is denaturalization, and how might it ramp up under Trump
•	Texas Senate race poll shows Democrat Talarico leading Republicans

Gallery: A royal first: See images of King Charles and Queen Camilla's visit to the United States

US gas prices hit highest level in 4 years amid Iran war

Average U.S. gas prices rose today to their highest level since the start of the Iran war, deepening fears about the impact of the current energy crisis. Washington and Tehran appear deadlocked over a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the two-month conflict, though a ceasefire between the two nations still holds.

But pressure is mounting. Gasoline prices today hit an average of $4.18 per gallon, according to AAA data, the highest price point since the early days of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022.

The spike comes as the White House appears skeptical about an Iranian peace proposal that seeks to postpone discussion of Iran’s nuclear program, the Wall Street Journal and Associated Press reported. Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly said any agreement must include Iran forfeiting its enriched uranium and agreeing to halt any future enrichment, a concession the Iranian government has pushed back on.

'Florida, Florida, Florida': Redistricting race has another target

Trump’s push for Republican leaders in red states to redraw congressional boundaries to help the party in this year's midterm elections is zeroing in on a new state: the president's adopted home of Florida.

As the late Tim Russert of NBC News once said about the presidency on election night 2000, the key to the GOP retaining control of Congress also could come down to “Florida, Florida, Florida.”

State lawmakers convened a special session today to change Florida’s 28 congressional districts. The ruling Republicans are intent on increasing the odds of them winning four more districts, on top of the 20 seats they now hold.

Thanks for reading! Scroll down for more stories. You can reach me at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @ KathrynPlmr.