US Congressman Richard Neal boycotted Queen Elizabeth II's address to Congress in May 1991 due to the presence of 30,000 British soldiers in Northern Ireland. Neal, a Massachusetts Democrat first elected in 1988, skipped the event along with other politicians including Brian Donnelly, Joe Kennedy, and Joe Earley.

Neal referenced watchtowers during a visit to Northern Ireland. He described the British government's response as slow despite global changes like the Soviet Union's collapse and reforms in South Africa.

His grandmother Mary Ward Neal came from Ulster around 1900. She referred to the area as Ireland, not Northern Ireland.

Neal defended his absence in a local newspaper interview. He stated Americans have an aversion to kings and queens, and Ireland should be united under one government.

Neal supported the peace process through the 1990s. He regards the Belfast Agreement as having an enduring legacy.

Neal plans to attend King Charles's address to Congress on Tuesday. It marks the second time a British monarch speaks to a joint meeting of Congress.