King Charles and Queen Camilla have arrived in Canada for a 24 hour visit to North America and were welcomed by the Governor General, prime minister Mark Carney and other dignitaries
The King and Queen received a ceremonial welcome as they touched down in Canada for a whirlwind visit to the nation’s capital to attend the State Opening of Parliament tomorrow.
Charles – making his first trip as head of state – and Camilla touched down in the capital Ottawa at 1.30pm local time, on board a Royal Canadian Air Force jet dispatched to bring them across the Atlantic. The Queen wore a pale pink fringed Anna Valentine coat dress, Chanel shoes and, in a diplomatic nod to her hosts, a diamond maple leaf brooch, which was originally a gift from King George VI to the Queen Mother.
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The historic trip, lasting just 24 hours, was brought together after newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney, former head of the Bank of England, invited the King to attend the state opening of parliament.
Charles will on Tuesday attend the event and deliver the objectives of the new Canadian government, much the same as he would do in the UK, but without the formality or royal regalia.
Schoolchildren from Ontario and Quebec joined dignitaries including the Governor General, prime minister Carney and representatives of Canada’s three indigenous groups, to welcome the King and Queen before they were taken to a local park to kick off a community event.
Senior aides at Buckingham Palace said although the visit was indeed short, the King would hope its impact would be felt deeply by Canadians amid rising tensions with the United States.
President Donald Trump provoked outrage after taking aim at Canada with a trade war and threats to annex the country as America’s 51st state. Royal sources said the trip would be “soft power in action” while Ralph Goodale, the High Commissioner for Canada in the UK, said Their Majesties visit would “reinforce the power and the strength of the message” to Donald Trump that “Canada is not for sale”.
The King and Queen will travel to the state opening tomorrow in the 1902 State Landau carriage, while Charles will sit on a throne carved from a walnut tree from Windsor Great Park.
The late Queen Elizabeth II was the first sovereign to deliver the speech at the state opening of the Canadian parliament on October 1957, her first visit to the country as head of state.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson commenting about the trip has said: “The King and Queen are very much looking forward to the programme, mindful that it is a short visit but hopefully an impactful one.”
Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s minister of identity and culture, said: “His Majesty’s delivery of the Speech from the Throne to open the 45th Parliament is a momentous occasion, one that brings Canadians together in celebration of our rich history, our democracy and the institutions that serve us all.
“This visit offers an opportunity to showcase the special relationship between Canada and the Crown, while also highlighting the strength, diversity and unity that define us on the world stage.”
Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s minister of identity and culture, said: “His Majesty’s delivery of the Speech from the Throne to open the 45th Parliament is a momentous occasion – one that brings Canadians together in celebration of our rich history, our democracy and the institutions that serve us all.
“This visit offers an opportunity to showcase the special relationship between Canada and the Crown, while also highlighting the strength, diversity and unity that define us on the world stage.”
Arriving in Ottawa on a Royal Canadian Air Force Airbus CC-330 Husky, Charles and Camilla stepped out of the aircraft to an impressive display of pomp and pageantry, with a rousing musical performance by the Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces and a 25-member Guard of Honour from the Royal Canadian Dragoons, for which the King is Colonel-in-Chief.
Almost a dozen dignitaries waited to greet them at the bottom of the steps as they stepped out onto Canadian soil for the first since the King ascended the throne in September 2022.
Among those waiting in the beaming sunshine included newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife, Diana, who the King greeted warmly and kept a prolonged handshake.
Representatives of Canada’s First Nations communities were among the welcoming party, including Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, who was wearing a rare treaty medal that was given to one of the original signatories of Treaty 2 – which established land reserves, education and other provisions for the First Nations.
Cindy showed the King the silver medal, which show two people shaking hands and were a gift given on behalf of Queen Victoria to the 9 First Nations who signed the treaty – one of which was her ancestor, Chief Richard Woodhouse..
Fourteen-year-old Lila Graham from Carleton Place, Ontario, who since the age of four has asked for food bank donations in lieu of birthday presents, presented the Queen with a posey of flowers.
“They’re beautiful,” she said while the King enquired about the Coronation medal pinned to her navy blue dress.
In March, Lila became one of the youngest recipients of the King Charles III Coronation medal for her community service, having helped secure over 771kg (1,700lbs) of donations for Lanark County Food Bank.
The King and Queen, who flew from the UK earlier on Monday, then went over to listen to an Algonquin group playing drums. Speaking to Governor General Mary Simon, Charles said “the drum has a lovely skin on it,” before going on to greet dozens of schoolchildren from Ontario and Quebec who had gathered to greet the royal couple.
One of the school groups comprised of pupils enrolled in the Duke of Edinburgh Award, a youth achievement programme that encourages personal development and was founded by the King’s father, Prince Philip, in 1956.
After shaking as many hands as they could, the King and Queen got into the waiting car and headed to their next engagement at Lansdowne Park.
