King Charles and Queen Camilla have arrived in Ottawa for the start of a fleeting two-day visit to Canada, where they will attend the state opening of the country’s parliament
King Charles and Queen Camilla have kicked off their whistlestop trip to Canada, which has been described as a sign of strength and support for the country amid a war of words with Donald Trump. The royal couple landed in Ottawa this evening marking the first time that Charles has been on Canadian soil since he became King and head of state of the country.
The King and Queen were greeted by Canadian Mounties and flag waving schoolchildren. 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.
Schoolchildren from Ontario and Quebec joined dignitaries including the Governor General, prime minister Mark 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 at just two days, the King would hope its impact would be felt deeply by Canadians amid rising tensions with the United States.
Later today, the King will hold audiences with Canada’s first indigenous Governor General, Mary Simon, the King’s representative in Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney, and there will be a short ceremony to swear in Camilla as a member of the Canadian Privy Council.
Charles and Camilla’s events will conclude today with a short reception for lieutenant governors from Canada’s 10 provinces and the territorial commissioners from the three territories.
The trip comes in the wake of verbal aggression from US President Donald Trump, who claimed that Canada should become the 51st state of America, prompting outrage. When new when Canadian PM Mr Carney met Trump at the White House in the days after his election victory last month, he told him in no uncertain terms Canada is “not for sale”.
However, the unprecedented trip, which will be Charles’ first to Canada as King, will also see him walk a diplomatic tightrope. He faces the difficult task of balancing his duties as Canada’s head of state and his role in Keir Starmer’s attempt at maintaining strong relations between the UK and the US.
The centrepiece of the trip to Canada will be tomorrow (Tuesday) when Charles and Camilla will attend the state opening of parliament, similar to the UK parliament’s opening ceremony but without the formality or royal regalia found in Britain. They will travel to the state openingin the 1902 State Landau carriage, while Charles will sit on a throne carved from a walnut tree from Windsor Great Park.
The late Queen was the first sovereign to deliver a speech at the state opening of the Canadian parliament in October 1957, her first visit to the country as head of state.
During their two-day trip, Charles will become only the second monarch, after Queen Elizabeth II, to attend the state opening of Canada’s parliament and deliver the speech setting out the government’s legislative agenda. Charles will be delivering the words of the Canadian government, similar to a UK State opening of parliament, but commentators will be looking for any veiled references to Trump.
The King istravelling with his wife less than a month after former Bank of England governor Mark Carney’s Liberal Party election victory, fuelled in part by its opposition to the US leader.
Mr Carney’s rival, populist Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, was in the lead until Mr Trump took aim at Canada with a trade war and threats to annex the country as the 51st state, comments denounced by the ex-governor. 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.”
As the royals get back to their normal duties after a difficult year, the Mirror has launched its very own Royal WhatsApp community where you’ll get all the latest news on the UK’s most famous family.
We’ll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in.
All you have to do to join is click on this link, select ‘Join Chat’ and you’re in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group.
We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN
