Ben Woodfinden: King Charles III and the glorious weirdness of Canada's monarchy
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But part of what makes the Crown, and all the pomp, the tightly controlled customs and conventions, and rituals around it, worth celebrating is how strikingly odd and weird it all is. This isn't a knock against the monarchy; it's a visible reminder that part of what makes our unique form of government worth preserving are all the strange idiosyncrasies that come along with it.
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During his visit, the King will journey to the Senate to deliver the speech in Canada's traditional state landau, a regal horse-drawn carriage reserved for royal and viceregal ceremonies. The grand procession will feature 28 RCMP musical ride horses, with 14 leading and 14 following, creating an impressive spectacle. Upon arrival at the Senate, the King will receive full military honours, including a 100-strong guard from the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment, an inspection of both the guard and the band, and a 21-gun salute. After the King arrives, the Usher of the Black Rod will be sent to summon members of Parliament to the Senate chamber. This historic role dates back to 1348.
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The spectacle is weird. Gloriously so. But more importantly, the constitutional conventions and oddities surrounding the visit are equally idiosyncratic. When Charles delivers the speech, he will be doing so in his capacity as the King of Canada. This differs from Charles' role as King of the United Kingdom. If you ever point out to people that it is incorrect to say that our head of state is the 'King of the United Kingdom,' people often reply with 'so what, he's the same person.' But this visit actually illustrates a subtle but important reason why this matters.
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Media reports have suggested that behind the scenes, there are some disagreements between the Canadian and British governments over exactly what Charles should say and do while here. Trump is a fan of the monarchy, and the British government has tried to leverage this to curry favour with Trump. During a visit to the White House in February, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer hand-delivered a letter from the King to Trump inviting him for a state visit. This was while Trump was making repeated comments about making Canada the 51st state, and during the height of the tariff fight. Carney criticized this move a few weeks ago on British television.
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