King Charles will visit Canada, deliver throne speech to open Parliament
Visit will mark the 1st time a monarch has delivered the throne speech since 1977
King Charles will travel to Canada later this month and deliver the speech from the throne on May 27.
"This historic honour matches the weight of our times," Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Friday as he announced the news. He added that Queen Camilla would join the visit.
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon issued a statement confirming the royal visit on May 26 and 27.
"Whit and I will be delighted to welcome Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla to Canada. Our Canadian identity is deeply rooted in our Constitution and this visit highlights the enduring relationship between Canada and the Crown," she said.
"Now more than ever, we need to come together to ensure a future that builds on our shared global values of democracy, equality and peace."
Every new session of Parliament is opened by a throne speech, a document that lays out the government's expected direction and goals, and how it plans to achieve them.
When Charles and Carney met at Buckingham Palace before the election, the prime minister asked the King about the possibility of him coming to Canada to deliver the next throne speech, CBC News has learned.
That Charles would come to Canada to open Parliament "sends a clear message regarding his dedication to the role of King of Canada," Toronto-based royal author and historian Carolyn Harris said via email.
Much attention has focused in recent weeks on Charles's role as head of state of Canada, particularly in the face of repeated taunts from U.S. President Donald Trump about it becoming the 51st state.
"It seems fairly likely that the current state of relations between Canada and the United States shaped the decision to not only have the visit so soon but also for it to involve the opening of Parliament," Justin Vovk, a royal historian and member of the advisory board of the Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada, said in an email.
"Mark Carney ran his campaign on a largely anti-Trump platform and reiterated that Canada will always remain sovereign, independent and free. Having Charles assume his place at the centre of our parliamentary institutions is a clear signal of Canada's unique political and national identity compared to our neighbours to the south."
Those who watch Charles closely saw an increase in signals and royal symbolism in support of Canada as it faced that repeated rhetoric, which resurfaced recently after a relatively quiet spell.
Charles also referenced his role as "King of Canada" during an address recently to the Italian parliament, a rare statement — particularly coming as it did in an international, non-Commonwealth setting.
The opening of Canada's new Parliament provides an "ideal opportunity" for a visit from Charles, who has not yet come to the country as monarch, said Harris.
"President Trump's comments about Canada becoming the 51st state, however, have increased the political significance of King Charles undertaking official engagements as King of Canada."
The King delivering the throne speech in Ottawa also follows historical precedent, she said.
"Queen Elizabeth II opened Parliament during her first visit to Canada as a reigning monarch in 1957."
The last time the speech was actually read by Canada's head of state was when Queen Elizabeth delivered it in 1977.
Simon's statement said the royal visit's detailed itinerary will be published at a later date by the Department of Canadian Heritage.
At two days, it will be a short visit, but that, too, has precedent.
"Queen Elizabeth II's 1957 visit to Canada to open Parliament was also quite short," said Harris.
Other factors and logistics likely played into the timing, she added.
"The specific dates of the visit will have been organized quite quickly after the election, and royal schedules are set long in advance," said Harris.
"There may be a longer Canadian royal tour scheduled in the future when there is more time for planning and preparation. King Charles III's cancer treatment also limits opportunities for extensive royal tours, as demonstrated by his visit to Australia and Samoa, which did not include New Zealand."
The visit will be the King's 20th visit to Canada, and the Queen's fifth. Their last visit was in May 2022, when Charles was still the Prince of Wales.
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With files from J.P. Tasker, Rosemary Barton and Janet Davison
