Britain’s King Charles III Arrives in Canada Amid Tension with Trump.
King Charles III, the British monarch, has arrived in Canada for a two-day visit that officials say aims to assert support for the country’s sovereignty amid President Donald Trump’s calls for annexing the United States’s northern neighbour.
The monarch’s trip, which started on Monday, comes at the invitation of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose party won the general election last month amid Trump’s threats.
Charles is the ceremonial Head of State in Canada, which remained a Commonwealth realm after gaining independence from Great Britain in 1867.
The King is to open parliament in Ottawa on Tuesday with a “Speech from the Throne” – the first such address to be delivered by a British monarch in Canada since 1977.
While the British monarch has refrained from interfering in politics in recent decades and remained a symbolic figure, Charles is expected to deliver a message of support for Canada against Trump’s statements.
Later on Monday, Carney said Canada is “honoured” to welcome Charles and his wife Queen Camilla, adding that the royal visit highlights “the vitality of our constitutional monarchy and our distinct identity”.
To that end, the Speech from the Throne will outline the government’s ambitious plan to act with urgency and determination, and to deliver the change Canadians want and deserve: to define a new economic and security relationship with the United States … to bring down the cost of living, and to keep communities safe,” Carney said in a statement.
Canadian officials have forcefully rejected Trump’s comments about making their country the 51st US state as a trade row between the two countries continues.
Canada’s envoy to the United Kingdom, Ralph Goodale, told reporters last week that “the king, as head of state, will reinforce the power” of Carney’s message that Canada is not for sale.
Governor General Mary Simon, the monarch’s ceremonial representative in Canada, also said the royal couple’s visit holds “profound significance”.
