In this deep dive, I unpack how my American anti-monarchist instincts were challenged when King Charles III addressed the US Congress—the first since 1991. Amid strained US-UK relations and NATO tensions, he delivered a soft-power masterclass, defending the rule of law, climate action, Ukraine, and international cooperation to bipartisan applause. I explore how a constitutional monarchy operates alongside democracy, why the Crown can say what politicians can’t, and what it means that Trump appeared won over by a speech that contradicted his worldview. This is the moment that shifted how I see the monarchy’s role. 🧡 Stuff I Use & Recommend As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. 🔗 Amazon items mentioned in this video: – An Officer Not A Gentleman by Mandy Hickson https://amzn.to/4tZDPLE – Flag Display Case. https://amzn.to/48ekY7m – Tim Curry Vagabond. https://amzn.to/4cXlh9a – Blue Yeti Nano Premium USB Mic. https://amzn.to/48ekY7m – Gaza: The Story of a Genocide by Fatima Bhutto. https://amzn.to/4tYpIpZ YouTube Video Chapters/Timestamps 00:00. Expat Life POV: The King, Congress, & the Slow Unravelling of My American Brain 00:44 Expat Life POV: The American Anti-Monarchist Default 02:41 Expat Life POV: What King Charles Actually Did 05:15 Expat Life POV: How King Charles Charmed Trump and the US Congress 07:38 Expat Life POV: What an American in the UK is Realizing 10:01 Expat Life POV: Americans Facing Uncomfortable Truths 12:14 Expat Life POV: Final Thoughts on the British Monarchy 🪪 Click the join button below to become a member and support the Royal British Legion. More details at https://www.hicksondiaries.com/royal-british-legion-partnership 👉OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT THE CHANNEL Can't commit to the £4.99/mo right now, no problem. There are other ways to offer your support. Consider sending a paid SuperChat during a live stream or buying me a coffee by clicking the "Thanks" while watching one of our videos. 😩NO SPARE CHANGE-NO PROBLEM Your support doesn't have to cost a thing. There's a ton of free ways to be part of our community & supporting us. If you haven't already, consider subscribing to the channel, clicking the notification bell, 🛎️ leaving comments (don't forget-I respond to every one-eventually) , participating in community posts, liking & sharing a video with a friend or on social media. Finally, simply watching our videos (and maybe re-watching your favorites a few times). All of these thing helps us be seen by new viewers. 😒DO THESE THINGS REALLY HELP? Yes, no matter how you support us, every interaction keeps us on the good side of the YouTube algorithm. Whatever you can do is greatly appreciated & I am so thankful that I have you as part of this community. I couldn't do it without you! (No seriously, if it weren't for this channel I would just be alone in my bedroom talking to myself.) ❤️THANK YOU FOR CHECKING US OUR & I HOPE I GET TO SPEAK TO YOU AGAIN SOON!❤️ ✉️ Subscribe to our FREE blog & newsletter @https://www.hicksondiaries.com/ 📧 Send Me Suggestions [email protected] 👀 Hickson Diaries viewers, be sure to check out and subscribe to our new YouTube channel Own Your Work for powerful tips & tricks as well as inspiring real life stories of how I survived 30 years of corporate life in the United States & the United Kingdom, and ended up running my own business. Find out how you can fight burnout and take back control of your career, own your work and live your best life. @OwnUrWork 🌟 Copyright Disclaimer © 2026 The Hickson Diaries/Mandy Hickson. All rights reserved. All content on this YouTube channel, including but not limited to videos, audio, visuals, text, graphics, and edits, is protected by copyright laws and international treaties. No part of this content may be reproduced, redistributed, transmitted, or reused in any form without prior written permission from the copyright owner, except as permitted by applicable law. ⚖️ Fair Use / Fair Dealing Notice This channel may include copyrighted material whose use has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such use is made under the principles of fair use pursuant to Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act and fair dealing under the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as well as similar provisions in other jurisdictions. The use of copyrighted material is for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, parody, or research. This content is intended to be transformative and does not substitute for the original work. If you believe any content on this channel infringes your copyright, please contact: [email protected] and the matter will be addressed promptly. #expatlife #hicksondiaries #livingabroad
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It costs each British taxpayer £1.20 to fund The Sovereign Grant. The Sovereign Grant funds the workings of the Monarchy. Some people believe that the Monarchy don't pay tax when they do. The Monarchy also owns a wind farm and all the profit it makes goes to the Treasury which funds the citizens and government. There is something else that you might not have known about the Monarch that wherever he is in the world he will still receive Red Boxes from our government and he will read the documents and sign them off. The King cannot comment on the Epstein case because it will jeopardise any court case brought in Britain against any person accused of wrong doings with Epstein. Countries with a Constitutional Monarchy tend to be more stable than a Republic where Presidents can become egotistical maniacs.
The problem for anti-monarchists is what are you replacing them with ?.......... A politician. Thanks - but we've got enough of those.
When I think of all of our slimy odious politicians who would see themselves as a President, the monarchy always seems preferable.
I think what you fail to recognise is that it is not so much inherited privilege as inherited responsibility and accountability.
Diplomacy has been described as the art of telling someone to go to hell and make them look forward to the trip. Charles showed how it's done.
I especially liked the king giving a bell to a bell end.
Dieu sauve le roi du Canada👑🍁God save the King of Canada🇨🇦
The Monarchy offer stability in an unstable world. When leaders fight and politicians lie, the Monarchy steadies the country.
Don’t forget that Britain tried the alternative under Cromwell, which basically didn’t work as he took on a pseudo- emperor stance and when he died and his son proved to be ineffective, the nobles asked the son of the king they had beheaded to return and restored the monarchy. Several countries over the years have asked royals to step in and create that stability that monarchy represents: Belgium, Bohemia, Greece, Mexico. Some were overthrown in the end, but the desire for stability is what they hoped to achieve. I think it is brave of you to admit the cultural propaganda that fuels American mythology.
Also the armed forces owe allegiance to the monarch , so no politician can cause an insurrection.
So how could Charles have mentioned Epstein in any way? He let it be known he wished to meet with the survivors as did Camilla. He also let it be known that he supported them. IN the meantime The UK is investigating. He disinherited his own brother. How much more do you need?
As a Brit, I love your take on what happened and how it shifted your brain. I'm a royalist but married to someone who's at best neutral about them. That said, in the past he was quite ani monarchy but over the years and on seeing how soft power really does work, he's shifted his thinking. We were both incredibly proud of our king this week. A better statesman than most politicians around the globe. It definitely felt like he'd been training his whole life for that moment. The delivery and British understatement was pitch perfect. Love your vlogs by the way x
King Charles III is arguably one of the very few people on the planet that Trump dare not insult.
To be fair; I didn't want Charles to go..... I was wrong, big style!
I sat in my village in the kingdom of Denmark and immediately noticed some characteristics of the No Kings movement in USA: 1. They were in general totally clueless. 2. They did not focus on improving their own third rate REPUBLIC, but directed their anger towards the concept of kingdoms. 3. They seemingly regarded a king as synonymous with a tyrant.
One of the advantages of a having a monarch (which a lot of advanced countries have) is that he is thinking about the next 250 years not the next election. Plus the Monarchs act as the most powerful embassadors on the planet. If you make friends with one, you will not have to start again with his opposition in a couple of years.
The president of the USA has the same powers as a king of England pre 17th. Century. While the UK has moved on, the USA has not.
The Monarchy brings far, far more money to the British coffers than what they cost. People don't realize that.
Trump liked Charles's speech because most of it went right over his big orange head.
As someone here in the UK we must also acknowledge the American Congress who got above their differences to be welcoming to the Monarch and who were gracious in their response