皇室祝酒兩百五十載：1894年查爾斯三世於大清宮廷之演說

 皇室祝酒兩百五十載：1894年查爾斯三世於大清宮廷之演說

Background & Context

1. The 2026 USA State Visit:
In April 2026, King Charles III made a historic state visit to Washington, D.C., to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States (1776–2026). During a state dinner, the King used classic "British humor" to bridge old historical wounds. Responding to President Trump's joke that Europeans would be "speaking German" without the US, Charles quipped, "If it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking French," referring to the British victory over France in the colonial era. He also playfully called the 1814 burning of the White House a "small attempt at real estate redevelopment".

2. The 1894 Qing 250th Anniversary:
The Qing Dynasty was established in 1644 when Manchu forces entered Beijing. By 1894, the dynasty celebrated its 250th anniversary. Historically, this was a moment of high tension due to the outbreak of the First Sino-Japanese War. However, Anglo-Qing relations were at a high point of cooperation; the Qing government was modernizing its military through the "Self-Strengthening Movement," sending naval students to Greenwich and purchasing world-class battleships like the Ting Yuen from European shipyards.

總理各國事務衙門演說辭 (一八九四年)

皇帝陛下、皇太后陛下、諸位勛鑒：

朕今日親蒞大清，值貴國開國二百五十載，實深榮幸。於本邦，二百五十年僅謂「昨日」耳；然觀貴國版圖之廣，朕始知大清之「昨日」，其繁忙遠勝我等。

朕此番躬率使團，非為重啟昔年茶絲之爭。先祖雖曾與貴國稍生隙，然今日我等共飲者，乃情誼之水。朕尤喜見貴國英才遠赴格林威治（Greenwich）深造水師之術。朕唯恐彼等學成太過，致使大英海軍他日反受教於門生也！

方今東海波濤不靖，貴國向我大英船廠訂造之巨艦，威儀赫赫，殊感欣慰。唯不知彼等售後保固（warranty）之期，貴國可曾留心？

聞百年前馬戛爾尼來聘，對跪拜之禮頗感躊躇。朕今夙興夜寐，多加演習。然竊慮今若行此大禮，恐體力難支，需貴國侍衛、或藉我大英之蒸汽起重機相助，方能復立。

朕願與貴國共勉，使中英之誼如堅艦利砲，屹立不倒。無論倫敦、北京，守衛和平、共致繁榮，實乃我等不遑之責。