everything you need to know about the royal visit to ottawa
10 minute read
king charles iii and queen camilla leave after a visit to canada house, the high commission of canada in the united kingdom, in london on may 20, 2025, to mark 100 years since the building opened in 1925.
arthur edwards
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pool/afp via getty images
in addition to the pomp and pageantry, there will be a fair share of canadian symbolism in the air as a king of great britain comes to canada for the first time in 86 years.
maybe a little irony, too.
as canadians continue to try and showcase their independence from u.s. president donald trump and his annexation and tariff threats, the visit by king charles iii to ottawa on may 26-27 will provide a shining example that the foundations of canada are fundamentally different from those of the united states.
in a subtle way — charles iii will read the speech from the throne on may 26 — the king will be sending a message about canada’s place in the world.
interestingly, it comes at a time when a majority of canadians believe we should cut ties from the british monarchy altogether.
when did charles assume the throne and what’s the history?
after queen elizabeth ii’s remarkable record run of 70 years and 214 days, it still feels and sounds odd to many to see charles as monarch. he assumed the kingship following his mother’s death on sept 8, 2022.
for the longest time, charles, the former prince of wales, was considered a tad eccentric. he was far less popular than his former wife, princess diana. charles was also in the middle of the royal family dysfunction that included his son, prince harry, and harry’s wife, meghan markle. charles’ second wife, camilla, the queen consort of the united kingdom, has never been able to captivate the public the way diana did.
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charles has previously been to canada 19 times as prince, but it’s different this time. accompanied by camilla, he will be doing more than sightseeing and shaking hands.
king charles iii is seen during the service for the oath and installation of the great master and the knights grand cross, at westminster abbey on may 16, 2025 in london, england.
wpa pool
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getty images
what’s the significance of the visit?
all ears will be tuned into the speech from the throne.
typically, that role is performed by the governor general, the monarchy’s top representative in canada, but this time prime minister mark carney has asked mary simon to pass the puck — er, microphone — to charles in his role as king of canada.
“the historic honour matches the weight of our times,” carney said in announcing the decision on may 2.
simon was also outspoken on what it meant to have charles deliver the speech.
“our canadian identity is deeply rooted in our constitution, and this visit highlights the enduring relationship between canada and the crown,” simon said.
queen elizabeth ii reads the throne speech in the senate chambers on oct. 18, 1977, officially opening the session of parliament. prime minister pierre trudeau sits to the right of the queen.
canadian press
why is having the king read the speech such a big deal?
queen elizabeth only did it twice: with pierre elliott trudeau as prime minister in 1977 and with john diefenbaker as pm in 1957.
“it’s the first time that charles has come to canada as king and it’s the first since 1957 that the sovereign has opened a brand new session of parliament,” says justin vovk, a royal historian and a phd in history at mcmaster university and also on the advisory board for the study of the crown in canada.
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“there are a number of layers here that are significant. the speech from the throne sets the tone with mark carney. this was never something that was on (former prime minister) justin trudeau’s radar.”
carolyn harris, an expert in european monarchy and holder of a phd in history from queen’s university, says charles’ upcoming visit parallels queen elizabeth’s brief tour of canada in 1957.
“that was a very high-profile visit,” harris said. “traditionally, the queen would do her christmas broadcasts (in the u.k.) by radio, but she did the speech in canada with television cameras.”
in many respects, that represented a leap forward for the queen, who became more open to allowing cameras to catch glimpses of the royal family back home.
king charles iii holds an audience with prime minister mark carney at buckingham palace, in london, on march 17, 2025.
aaron chown
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pool/afp via getty images
what’s the message here for u.s. president donald trump?
vovk suggests that having charles deliver the speech is a sign that carney will be looking to strengthen canada’s ties with britain. carney, of course, also served as governor of the bank of england from 2013 to 2020.
“carney has always been vocal about considering himself a europeanist,” vovk said. “in a way, it’s a show of force.”
vovk says trump has deep respect for the monarchy. “it does give the prime minister more heft when dealing with the u.s.”
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harris says there’s unquestionably more attention on the royal tour due to canada’s current tense relationship with the united states.
“it’s generating greater political significance because it is a subtle reminder that he’s not only king of the u.k., but king of canada.”
what the heck is broach diplomacy?
it’s the art of the british monarchy sending subtle, but significant messages through symbols and actions rather than words.
ever since britain became a constitutional monarchy in 1869, kings and queens must remain politically “neutral,” taking cues from the british prime minister. so, don’t expect any fireworks about annexation or tariffs in the throne speech. charles is simply reading the speech, not writing it, and the tone is expected to be along the lines of praising canadian identity and traditions.
“he’s the king of 15 separate commonwealth realms, and he can’t take any political action,” vovk said. “he doesn’t want to risk changing the (u.s.) relationship with australia or new zealand or britain or anywhere else. while a member of parliament might say or do something that may be a gaffe or not poll well or make people unhappy, there would be serious consequences if the king did that.”
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the royals do, however, make smaller statements in other ways.
during queen elizabeth’s reign, she would routinely change the broaches she wore on her dresses to showcase support for a region or a particular cause. that also extended to the colours of her dresses and the styles of her hats.
king charles iii holds an audience with the governor general mary simon at buckingham palace on may 6, 2025 in london, england.
wpa pool
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getty images
maple leaf forever?
trudeau, carney and canadian senate representatives were all hosted by charles in march. afterwards, there were plenty of reasons to read the tea leaves in how much the king supported canadian independence.
charles planted a red maple tree in the backyard of buckingham palace. when he toured a british aircraft carrier in march, his naval uniform was adorned with canadian medals. charles also presented gregory peters, the usher of the black rod — a chief protocol officer in the senate — with a ceremonial sword.
when he comes to canada, passionate followers of the royals will be keeping a close eye on charles’ choice of watch, tie, suit and shoes for subtle signs of support for canada.
“it’s something that people are very much wondering about, and i suspect there will be even more interest as we get closer to the visit,” vovk said.
prince charles, prince of wales, and camilla, duchess of cornwall, attend an event with the royal canadian mounted police on day two of their platinum jubilee royal tour of canada on may 18, 2022, in ottawa.
chris jackson
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getty images
where else will charles and camilla visit while in ottawa?
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from their arrival on may 26, they will head straight to lansdowne park to attend a community gathering, where they will be greeted by a federal cabinet minister and mayor mark sutcliffe.
they are going to meet with local vendors and artisans at the farmer’s market, followed by a street hockey demonstration with a ceremonial puck drop.
charles and camilla will then make their way to rideau hall — their official residence while visiting canada, and the official residence of the governor general — where they will be greeted by prime minister mark carney and governor general mary simon.
while at rideau hall, the king will take part in a tree planting on the grounds.
the next day, may 27, charles and camilla will be escorted by 28 rcmp horses on wellington street from the bank of canada to the senate of canada building. they will receive full military honours, including a royal salute and a 21-gun salute.
charles will then deliver the speech in the senate, marking the third time the king or queen will deliver the speech personally.
more than 470 guests are expected, including former prime ministers and over 50 mps will be on hand to greet the royals.
after the speech, they will walk to the national war memorial, where they will mark the 25th anniversary of the tomb of the unknown soldier, which will include a royal canadian air force flyover.
arrival of their majesties king george vi and queen elizabeth, in the state carriage, in front of the grandstand at lansdowne park in may 1939.
unknown
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the canadian press
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where can locals best catch a glimpse of the king in person?
if you’re looking to catch a glimpse of the royal couple, the lansdowne event at 1:45 p.m. and the tree planting ceremony at 2:50 p.m. on may 26th will be open to the public. the following day, both the procession down wellington street shortly before 10 a.m. and the 11:55 a.m. wreath laying will be open to the public.
when was the last time a reigning king visited canada?
in 1939, with canada still dealing with the great depression and europe on the brink of the second world war, king george vi and queen elizabeth i arrived in quebec city following a fog-delayed cross-atlantic trek aboard the empress of australia and then embarked on a six-week, 7,000-kilometre train trek across canada.
one of the highlights of the stop in ottawa was when george vi dedicated the national war memorial, surrounded by 10,000 veterans on elgin street. prime minister william lyon mackenzie king accompanied the king and queen throughout the tour, which also included a brief stop in the united states to visit with u.s. president franklin roosevelt.
how has charles previously shown respect for canadian values and culture?
in his 19 previous visits here, including trips with diana and sons william and harry, charles has seen all corners of the country, celebrating charities, the military and a variety of landscapes. his last trip, with camilla, was in may 2022, when he briefly toured ottawa.
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his first trip in 1970, a trek to the far north with queen elizabeth, prince philip and charles’ sister, princess anne, was particularly significant, according to harris.
“it was during the cold war, when there were all sorts of questions about canadian sovereignty, and it was the 100th anniversary of the northwest territories,” she said.
britain’s prince charles and camilla, duchess of cornwall, greet students during a visit at assumption catholic school on may 18, 2022, in ottawa.
dave chan
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afp via getty images
how do canadians feel about the monarchy, in general?
canadians are riding a new wave of patriotism and independence in light of trump’s words, but the monarchy has gradually lost its appeal over the years.
an angus reid poll in april 2023 showed that 60 per cent of the population opposed seeing charles as head of state, which was a major jump from september 2022, following queen elizabeth’s death.
that same poll found that 62 per cent didn’t want to see charles’ face on our currency and 66 per cent were against camilla becoming our queen. the angus reid study also revealed that 58 per cent of canadians agreed that barbados made the correct decision in 2021, when it cut ties with the monarchy and officially became a republic.
another leger poll in 2023 found that 63 per cent of canadians agreed that “it was time for canada to reconsider its ties to the british monarchy.”
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in 2016, 64 per cent of canadians had been in favour of queen elizabeth ii serving as canada’s head of state, but that number dipped to 55 per cent before her death in 2022.
quebecers, given the provincial history of english-french tensions dating back to confederation, are even less likely to be supportive of charles. in the 2023 leger poll, 78 per cent of quebecers said it was time to end the connection to britain.
considering those numbers, it’s perhaps not surprising that the bloc québécois has come out firmly against the idea of charles reading the throne speech.
“inviting king charles iii to open the new legislature reveals liberals’ values that are fundamentally at odds with those of quebecers, who reject this institution and are committed to democracy and modernity,” the bloc said in a statement.
prince charles, prince of wales, inspects the guard of honour at reconciliation, the peacekeeping monument, near the byward market during a three-day official visit to canada on july 1, 2017.
pool
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getty images
have attitudes towards charles (and camilla) changed?
time, according to harris, has been good for the general opinion towards charles at home and around the world.
back in the 1990s, when charles was in the midst of marital problems with diana, he wasn’t seen in a good light. the notion of charles and future wife camilla as a potential king and queen was anything but favourable.
the tide of negativity has turned somewhat, though.
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“charles has been riding a wave of sympathy,” harris said. “his parents died, in 2021 and 2022, and he was diagnosed with cancer early in his reign, but he has managed to rise in terms of his reputation with the public, especially compared to the 1990s, when he was dealing with his marriage issues.”
when charles was serving as prince of wales, his causes célèbres included climate change, organic farming and other environmental initiatives that made him seem a bit out of touch with the mainstream. as years go on and sentiments change, though, his image has improved.
“there has been more acceptance,” harris said. “it’s interesting to see how reputations change over time.”
harris also says charles has made an effort to make the royal family, and all things royal, more accessible to the public.
governor general michaelle jean, prince charles, camilla, duchess of york and prime minister stephen harper (with daughter rachel) salute the fallen during the remembrance day ceremony at the national war memorial in ottawa, nov. 11, 2009.
julie oliver
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julie oliver
can a royal visit change perceptions of the royal family?
every time there’s a significant royal visit, the debate about whether canada and the monarchy is heightened.
harris distinctly remembers queen elizabeth’s golden jubilee tour in 2002. along the way, she drew plenty of attention for dropping the puck for a ceremonial faceoff before a vancouver canucks nhl game.
“at the time, many canadians identified the monarchy as something that distinguished us from the united states, but they didn’t necessarily recognize that the queen was the head of state,” she said.
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“we’re in one of those moments now when there is interest in the distinct elements of canadian society, the aspects that make us different from the u.s. the monarchy has been very much part of our distinct culture dating back to the arrival of the united empire loyalists.”
with files from sadeen mohsen
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