Although he will be on the ground for less than 24 hours, when the King lands in Ottawa on Monday for his 20th visit to Canada — though his first as monarch — he will be acutely aware of the highly delicate diplomatic situation.
One Commonwealth source familiar with discussions between London and Ottawa over the visit said: “British ministers have been trying to persuade the Canadian government to keep Charles free of any controversy around Donald Trump, and that has been fiercely resisted by the Canadians.”
As King of Canada and head of the Commonwealth, he will aim to reassure Canadians and their new prime minister, Mark Carney, of the UK’s staunch support for the country, which is strongly rejecting Trump’s assertions that it should fall under American rule.
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Charles, 76, who is still receiving weekly cancer treatment, and Camilla, 77, will attend the state opening of parliament on Tuesday, only the second time a sovereign has opened parliament. Queen Elizabeth did so in 1957.
A more “informal” affair than a Westminster state opening — with no crowns, ermine or page boys attending on the King — he will deliver a 30-minute speech written by the Canadian government, but is expected to include a personal flourish here and there. Every word will be scrutinised for signs of support for Canada and Carney.
Professor Philip Murphy, director of history and policy at the University of London, said: “What we’re likely to see is a speech from the throne which will make reference, whether veiled or not, to Trump and what’s going on. There will be a strong subtext, and the Canadians are very keen to see that.
The King and Mark Carney at Buckingham Palace in March
AARON CHOWN/AFP/GETTY
“The Canadians’ game plan will be to have their constitutional cake and eat it by exploiting the ambiguities of the constitutional position of monarch. They’ll be keen to stress that Charles is not just King of Canada but King of the United Kingdom, and seen throughout the world as such, so by having him there they can stress that the UK is on Canada’s side in any trade confrontation with the US.”
Actions by monarchs are rarely “accidental”, as Palace sources pointed out in March 2022, when the late Queen received Justin Trudeau, who was then the Canadian leader, at Windsor Castle. The pair showed their support for Ukraine at the start the war with Russia, posing for photographs in front of a large vase of blue and yellow flowers, the Ukrainian national colours.
Since Canada’s conflict with Trump escalated towards the end of Trudeau’s tenure, Charles has sent as many diplomatic messages of support as he can. In February, for the 60th anniversary of Canada’s maple leaf flag, he issued a message praising the “proud, resilient and compassionate country”.
In March, he met Trudeau at Sandringham for a fireside chat, after which the outgoing Canadian leader posted on X: “We spoke about matters of importance to Canadians — including, above all, Canada’s sovereign and independent future.”
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Later that month, while visiting the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, Charles wore a set of Canadian medals, and also planted a maple tree in the grounds of Buckingham Palace.
Camilla will also send a subtle message of support, and is expected to wear Queen Elizabeth’s diamond maple leaf brooch during the trip, which is heavily freighted with diplomatic significance.
Carney, 60, who had a testy exchange with Trump at the White House recently, reiterating his country “won’t be for sale, ever”, told Sky News this month that the invitation for Charles and Camilla to attend the state opening of parliament was “not coincidental” and “a clear message of sovereignty”.
On Tuesday, the royal couple visited Canada House in London to mark its 100th anniversary, where Ralph Goodale, Canada’s high commissioner to the UK, said their imminent visit to Ottawa “will reinforce the power and strength of [Carney’s] message”.
Charles and Camilla are presented with a key to Canada House during their visit
ARTHUR EDWARDS/WPA POOL/GETTY
After the visit, Chief Perry Bellegarde, a First Nations advocate and honorary president of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, summed up what the imminent royal visit means to many Canadians: “It’s a huge deal.”
The King is expected to host Trump at Windsor in September after Sir Keir Starmer delivered an invitation for an unprecedented second state visit to him in the Oval Office in February — a sweetener during discussions between the UK and the US that led to a trade deal earlier this month.
Carney has said bluntly that Canadians “weren’t impressed by” the invitation, as it “cut across” messages he was trying to send on his nation’s sovereignty and anger over tariff wars with the US. As well as not offending Trump, Charles will also need to be conscious of standing by Carney.
He and the new Canadian prime minister forged a warm relationship during Carney’s tenure as governor of the Bank of England, and he pointedly invited him to Buckingham Palace in March, days after he was sworn into office.
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A source close to Charles, who will hold an audience with Carney at Rideau Hall, the governor-general’s official residence, on Tuesday morning, said: “The King’s first visit to Canada as sovereign was always going to be significant, setting aside geopolitics. He is keen to show support for Canadians, by their request, but he has also shown support for the UK’s other transatlantic partners, with the state visit invitation extended to the president of the United States.
“Is it a diplomatic tightrope walk? Yes. Will the King walk it with all his judgment and years of experience on these matters? Yes. Hopefully all parties will understand that he has two roles, as head of state in Canada and the UK, and is constitutionally bound to uphold both, despite minor points of disagreement between some parties.”
While in Canada, the couple will also attend a community event in Lansdowne Park, meet First Nations leaders and lay wreaths at the national war memorial. The Queen will also be sworn in as a member of the Canadian privy council.
Paula Newton, an Ottawa-based anchor and correspondent for CNN, who has known Carney for years, both personally and professionally, said: “The visit is incredibly strategic on his part, and he’s not minced his words about what it means. There’s a precedent from 1957 but in modern times, in this kind of political context, it’s remarkable.
“That doesn’t mean all Canadians feel there should still be a constitutional monarchy, although since Trump started talking about the 51st state, support for the monarchy has lifted. But if the King’s not standing up for Canada and the Commonwealth, what’s the monarchy for?”