King Charles III is set to deliver a keynote speech to the Canadian parliament, where he is expected to express support for Canada amid the country’s dispute with US President Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, local time, King Charles will deliver his ‘Speech from the Throne’ in the House of Commons.
Earlier, the King and Queen Camilla were given a warm welcome when they arrived in Ottawa, their first visit to Canada since the royal couple began their reign.
Shortly after arriving in Canada, the country’s head of state met with Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was recently elected in a wave of anti-Trump sentiment.
Carney praised the “historic bonds” that create Canada’s independent identity, along with “the strength of our constitutional monarchy”. He noted that “crisis only strengthens it”.
Carney invited the king to deliver the State of Parliament address after his victory in the recent general election, where the threat to Canadian sovereignty from Trump loomed large.
It will be the first time in nearly 50 years that a monarch has delivered a “speech from the throne,” with the monarch’s decision to come to Parliament in Ottawa seen as a symbolic gesture of support for Canada.
The king’s speech, written with advice from the Canadian government, is expected to send a clear, diplomatic message that the country is “not for sale” to the United States.
Carney has said that the speech, delivered in French and English, will be “in keeping with the urgency of our times.”
The king and Carney met on Monday afternoon (May 26) at Rideau Hall, the residence of the Governor-General of Canada, where both sat in front of the Canadian flag.
There were also meetings with leaders of Canada’s indigenous and First Nations groups, including Cindy Woodhouse, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
The king took part in a tree-planting ceremony in the comfortable atmosphere of the Ottawa sun. He was greeted by eager spectators, who cheered and gathered to shake his hand.
“Canada is feeling threatened and scared. It’s very important for him to be here,” said Teresa McKnight, from Mississauga, Ontario.
Her sister, Diane St. Louis, who lives near Toronto, agreed: “It’s very important. It’s very important for the king to stand with Canadians.”
The king was also given a warm welcome at the Ottawa airport for his nearly 24-hour visit to Canadian soil.
Carney was on the runway to meet the royal guests, who were also joined by students from English and French-speaking schools and representatives of First Nations communities.
There was also a list of Canadian moments created at a community event, such as the King throwing a puck to kick off a street hockey game and receiving a jar of maple syrup.
But the main focus of the trip will be the King’s historic speech on Tuesday, which is likely to deliver a message from the Canadian government rejecting the United States’ call to become the 51st state.
It is also a diplomatic balancing act, as the King has been part of the UK’s efforts to maintain good relations with Trump as head of state, which has included inviting him for a state visit.
But in Canada, the King must speak for Canada. As another visitor to Rideau Hall put it: “Sovereignty is important and he is the symbol of that.”
Source: BBC.