Britain’s King Charles III will arrive in Canada on Monday for his first visit as its head of state, where he’ll carry out a highly-symbolic whistle-stop trip that will be seen by many as a show of support following increasingly frayed relations between Ottawa and Washington.
During his two-day visit, Charles, 76, will deliver a speech in Canada’s parliament and celebrate the country’s cultural heritage and diversity, according to Buckingham Palace. He will be accompanied by his wife, Queen Camilla.
The monarch — who is still undergoing treatment for cancer — will attend the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday, where he will deliver the ceremonial “Speech from the Throne” to the Senate chamber. The address marks the second time that the sovereign has opened parliament.
The parliamentary address is typically delivered by the governor general, the British monarch’s representative in Canada.
The timing of Charles’ visit is notable as it comes as US President Donald Trump persistently references his desire to make Canada the 51st state and touts false claims that the Canadian public likes the idea of being annexed by the United States. In fact, the proposal is overwhelmingly unpopular among Canadians as a whole.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who rose to power on a tide of anti-Trump sentiment in March, has repeatedly denounced the US president’s remarks. In his election victory speech, Carney warned that Canada would never yield to Trump’s relentless provocations.
Carney doubled down on that message last month during an exchange with Trump in the Oval Office.
“As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale,” Carney told Trump, adding: “(Canada) is not for sale. It won’t be for sale, ever.”
Ahead of Charles’ trip to Ottawa, Canada’s envoy to the United Kingdom, Ralph Goodale, told reporters the king will “reinforce” that same directive, according to Reuters.
“The prime minister (Carney) has made it clear that Canada is not for sale now, is not for sale ever,” Goodale told journalists last week.
“The king, as head of state, will reinforce the power and strength of that message,” Goodale said.
An ‘impactful’ visit
Charles will also need to walk a careful diplomatic tightrope as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer seeks a stronger relationship with Trump over Ukraine and as he continues to pursue economic and trade guarantees.
Carney said last week that his compatriots “weren’t impressed” after Charles extended a second state invitation to the US president. Trump would be the first elected political leader in modern times to be hosted twice by a British monarch.
“It was at a time when we were being quite clear about the issues around sovereignty,” Carney said.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are “mindful” of the gravity of their upcoming visit, Buckingham Palace said, according to the UK’s PA Media news agency.
“The King and Queen are very much looking forward to the programme, mindful that it is a short visit but hopefully an impactful one,” PA reported, citing a palace spokesperson.