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King Charles has opened Canada’s parliament with a speech in Ottawa that offered a show of support for the country’s “freedom” at a time of heightened tensions with the US and its President Donald Trump.
The visit — at the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Carney — comes as Trump has repeatedly threatened Canadian sovereignty, saying the country should become a 51st US state, and announced tariffs that will damage its economy.
While the King did not mention Trump by name, he alluded to his actions, saying the US and Canada had begun “defining a new economic and security relationship”.
“Today, Canada faces another critical moment. Democracy, pluralism, the rule of law, self-determination and freedom are values which Canadians hold dear, and ones which the government is determined to protect,” the King said.
He added that he had “always had the greatest admiration for Canada’s unique identity, which is recognised across the world for bravery and sacrifice in defence of national values, and for the diversity and kindness of Canadians”.
The King’s throne speech, which opens the new parliament following Canada’s election last month, is the first by a British monarch since 1977, when his mother made the opening address.
The speech is normally given by the governor general, the monarch’s representative in Canada.
“This historic honour matches the weight of our times,” Carney said. “The royal visit is a reminder of the bond between Canada and the Crown, one forged over generations, shaped by shared histories and grounded in common values.”
The UK’s diplomatic efforts to appeal to Trump have caused tensions for the King in his role as monarch of both countries. Carney this month said Canadians “weren’t impressed” by the decision to invite Trump for a second state visit to the UK.
Robert Finch, the dominion chair of the Monarchist League of Canada, said the royal tour underscored Canada’s national sovereignty, “which will surely be noticed south of the border”.
“The monarchy is one of those things that really differentiates us from our American neighbours.”
King Charles and Queen Camilla are in Canada for less than 24 hours, their first visit since the coronation more than two years ago.
Tuesday’s speech in Canada’s Senate officially outlines the agenda for Carney’s government, which includes building “the strongest economy in the G7”.
Justin Vovk, a royal historian at McMaster University, said this was “a huge moment in Canadian history” because of the tensions with the US.
But he added that it was “a generic speech, written by the Canadian government. It is not appropriate for King Charles to make any inflammatory statement . . . as this could hurt the United Kingdom or Australia.”
Canada, like other Commonwealth states, has an uneasy relationship with the royals. An Angus Reid Institute survey released on Monday found 83 per cent of Canadians said they were “indifferent” or “don’t care” about the monarch’s visit.
However, other polls suggest hostility to the US has boosted public support for the royals. An Ipsos poll on Monday showed support for severing ties with the British monarchy had fallen to 46 per cent, the lowest since 2016.
Two-thirds of those surveyed said the crown was “useful” as it differentiated Canadians from the US.
Carney, former central bank governor in Canada and the UK, won a general election in April on a wave of patriotic support and anti-US sentiment, which hurt his Conservative opponent Pierre Poilievre, who was viewed as too closely associated with Trump.
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