27-05-2025
Live updates: King Charles set to deliver the Throne Speech today, opening Parliament
– Ann Hui
It's rarely by accident that you meet royalty.
For many of the thousands who gathered to catch a glimpse of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Canada, the journey to Ottawa's Lansdowne Park on Monday required strategy, precise planning and oftentimes hours of travel – by car, by train and by plane. And even among this very enthusiastic group was a smaller group most devoted of all: Those who were in the very front row.
For those most diehard monarchists, preparing for a royal visit took weeks, months, even years.
On an oppressively sunny Monday morning, hours ahead of when the King and Queen were expected at Lansdowne Park, Jenna Kocik was already in place right up against the fence that would eventually separate the royal couple from members of the public.
'I'm an enthusiastic royalist, to say the least,' said the 36-year-old nurse. 'It's something that I'm passionate about. I love the culture, and the history.'
Her planning for this day had begun several weeks ago, as soon as Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the royal visit. Ms. Kocik, who lives and works in Edmonton, began planning her trip.
Every detail was carefully thought through: From poring over the itinerary to figure out which events would offer the best access to the royal couple, to arriving at this event five hours early (at about 9 a.m. for a 2 p.m. event).
And on the other side of the gate, Jane Kroll said she's been waiting for this visit since the King's coronation, in 2023. For Monday's visit with the King, she wore a red Canada T-shirt and carried a Union Jack. 'I wanted to come and show that they were relevant and loved,' she said.
Read the full story here.
– Paul Waldie
When King Charles III delivers the Speech from the Throne on Monday to open Parliament, his words will be monitored closely in Britain for any comments he makes about the United States and how that might impact U.K.-U.S. relations.
The British government regularly touts the country's 'special relationship' with the U.S. and Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been keen to exploit U.S. President Donald Trump's admiration for King Charles to curry favour with the President. Mr. Starmer has refrained from criticizing Mr. Trump's trade war and invited him to London for a state dinner hosted by the King, making him the only U.S. President to be given that honour twice.
That's at odds with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and other U.S. allies who have been highly critical of Mr. Trump's tariffs. Mr. Carney also hopes to use the King's presence in Ottawa to blunt Mr. Trump's talk of annexation and demonstrate Canada's sovereignty.
While the Throne Speech is written almost entirely by officials in Ottawa and outlines the government's agenda for the new Parliament, the King is expected to add some personal reflections. Just how far he goes will be watched in London.
Read the full story here.
- Marie Woolf and Emily Haws
King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrved on a Royal Canadian Air Force plane, and were met at the Ottawa airport by an honour guard from the Royal Canadian Dragoons, as well as Governor-General Mary Simon, her husband Whit Fraser, Prime Minister Mark Carney, his wife Diana Fox Carney and Ontario Lt. Gov. Edith Dumont. Indigenous leaders, including Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Natan Obed, were also there to greet them.
The King and Queen left the airport in a motorcade of black SUVs for Lansdowne Park, near downtown Ottawa on the Rideau Canal, where a large crowd had gathered, some waving Canadian flags. The royal couple watched a short performance by Indigenous dancers as they arrived.
They then toured a farmers' market, where the King met vendors and dropped the puck before a children's street-hockey game. On the grounds of Rideau Hall, the King planted a blue beech tree, which is native to Ontario, using a ceremonial spade with the date and names of the participants engraved into it, which he held up after shovelling earth onto the tree's roots. Queen Camilla then watered it with a green watering can.
The King later held a formal audience with the Prime Minister, the Governor-General and Indigenous leaders at Rideau Hall.
After walking into the room and shaking hands with the King, Ms. Simon said, 'Welcome home,' adding that the Canadians who came to see him were very happy.
- Marie Woolf and Emily Haws
King Charles and Queen Camilla will wrap up their whirlwind visit to Canada with a bit of royal pomp today, including a parade through downtown Ottawa in a horse-drawn carriage.
Twenty-eight horses of the RCMP Musical Ride will accompany the state landau bearing the King and Queen Camilla from outside the Bank of Canada to the Senate.
At the Senate, the King will receive full military honours, including a royal salute, a guard of honour from the Royal Canadian Regiment, and an inspection of the guard.
King Charles is then set to read the Speech from the Throne to open Parliament, making him the second reigning monarch to do so. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, delivered the speech in 1957 and 1977. It's also the King's first visit to Canada since he ascended the throne in 2022. He visited Canada many times as Prince of Wales, including on five official tours.
Delivering the Throne Speech in person is being seen as an important gesture. The speeches, setting out the government's priorities, are usually delivered by the Governor-General, the monarch's representative in Canada.
The King will later lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The two-day royal visit was arranged after an invitation from newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney. It is being seen as a symbolic gesture of support by the King for Canada as its sovereignty is threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump's stated wish to turn the country into the 51st state.
