KING CHARLES TO HEAD TO CANADA – Royal show of support for Canada
King Charles flies to Canada for a highly symbolic visit, showing support for the nation that recognises him as its sovereign.
Following an invitation from Prime Minister Mark Carney, Charles will open parliament in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 27th, the first time a British monarch has carried out the duty since his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, did so 68 years ago.
The 76-year-old king is still undergoing cancer treatment, which has limited his workload, so the two-day trip shows his commitment to Canada, one of 15 countries where he is monarch.
Charles has made subtle signals of his backing for Canada in recent months, wearing Canadian medals, calling himself the king of Canada, and describing its flag as “a symbol that never fails to elicit a sense of pride and admiration”.
Charles’ trip, which he will make with his wife Queen Camilla, will be his first visit to the former British colony since becoming king in September 2022.
On Monday, the royal couple will visit a park in Ottawa, meet locals, and the King will launch a street hockey demo and plant a tree.
He’ll then deliver a 25-minute “Speech from the Throne” in the Senate—only the third time a sovereign has done so—arriving by horse-drawn carriage. Minister Steven Guilbeault called it a “momentous occasion” for Canada.
