King Charles III spoke of a “critical moment” for Canada Tuesday as he addressed the Canadian Parliament in a rare gesture that comes as Canada grapples with tariffs and annexation threats by President Trump.
“The True North is indeed strong and free,” Charles said, nodding to the Canadian national anthem.
The British monarch, who formally serves as Canada’s head of state, arrived in the capital of Ottawa on Monday, part of a two-day visit that’s widely viewed as a form of pushback against Mr. Trump’s calls to make Canada the 51st state.
Why did King Charles speak to Canada’s parliament?
The king delivered a “Speech from the Throne,” which marked the start of a new session of Parliament after the center-left Liberal Party won last month’s federal election. The speech — written by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office, not the king — outlined the new government’s agenda and priorities, while acknowledging the political and economic dynamics on the world stage affecting the country.
Marking the start of Parliament with a speech is a longstanding tradition in Canada and other former parts of the British Empire — but it’s highly unusual for the king to deliver the speech himself. Instead, the king’s representative in Canada, the governor-general, normally speaks on his behalf. The last time the monarch personally gave the speech was in 1977, when Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, traveled to Canada’s capital for the event.
In his address, the king cited his mother’s visit to Canada to open its parliament in 1957, saying that the visit came as “the Second World War remained a fresh, painful memory,” as the Cold War intensified, and “freedom and democracy were under threat.” Canada was “emerging as a growing economic power and a force for peace in the world,” he added, comparing the moment to the challenges of the present.
“Today, Canada faces another critical moment,” Charles said, adding that “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.”
Is King Charles’ visit to Ottawa related to Trump?
Some watchers of Canadian politics said so ahead of the visit, especially as Mr. Trump has repeatedly mused about the United States annexing Canada, stirring strong backlash.
Jared Wesley, a political science professor at the University of Alberta, says the royal visit could be “an indication that the king takes Canada’s sovereignty seriously.”
“The explicit threats to Canada’s sovereignty probably got the attention of the king and his advisers,” Wesley told CBS News.
The visit could also play to domestic politics, Wesley says. Mr. Trump’s comments have “stirred up patriotism in some odd corners of Canada,” and the country’s status as a constitutional monarchy where the king is still technically the head of state is one major difference between Canada and its neighbor to the south. And even though most Canadians are fairly indifferent toward the monarchy, visits by royals always draw interest.
“It’s seen as a point of pride and distinction between Canada and the U.S.,” said Wesley, who previously served in several roles for Alberta’s provincial government.
University of Toronto political science professor Elizabeth McCallion said the visit is likely intended as a “reminder that we are an independent country” and a “rallying together of Canadians.”
Earlier this month, Carney told Sky News the invitation to Charles was “not coincidental.” In a statement welcoming Charles on Monday, the prime minister didn’t mention Mr. Trump, but did hint at Canada’s “distinct identity” and “historic ties that crises only fortify.”
Charles also has a longstanding relationship with Canada, visiting the country over a dozen times before ascending to the throne. Amid a rocky relationship with the United States, many Canadians have looked for signs of support from Charles, taking note of symbolic gestures like the crown’s decision to plant a maple tree at Buckingham Palace earlier this year, McCallion said.
McCallion says some Canadians also believe Mr. Trump’s longstanding fascination with the British royal family could play to the country’s benefit.
“There’s hope that when he’s visiting, Trump will take notice and respect the fact that Canada has connections to the British monarchy,” McCallion told CBS News.
Charles is the head of state for both Canada and the U.K., putting him in an unusual position as the U.K. seeks a stronger trade relationship with the Trump administration. Earlier this month, Carney criticized the U.K. government for inviting Mr. Trump to a state visit earlier this year, presenting Mr. Trump with an invitation from the king. The Canadian leader told Sky News most Canadians “weren’t impressed by that gesture.”
What did King Charles say in the speech about the U.S. and Trump?
The king alluded to the relationship between Canada and the U.S. throughout his speech, as he addressed changes to the global trade systems. Charles said open global trade, while “not perfect,” has “helped to deliver prosperity for Canadians for decades.”
“Many Canadians are feeling anxious and worried about a drastically changing world around them,” Charles said. “Yet this moment is also an incredible opportunity — an opportunity for renewal. An opportunity to think big and to act bigger. An opportunity for Canada to embark on the largest transformation of its economy since the Second World War.”
The king emphasized that a “confident Canada” can “seize this opportunity by recognizing that all Canadians can give themselves far more than any foreign power on any continent can ever take away.” He added that by staying true to Canadian values, Canada can build new alliances and a new economy that serves all Canadians.
The king made only a passing reference to Mr. Trump, saying Canada’s prime minister and the U.S. president “have begun defining a new economic and security relationship” that he said was “rooted in mutual respect and founded on common interests to deliver transformational benefits for both sovereign nations.”
What has Trump said about Canada — and how has Carney responded?
Mr. Trump has repeatedly floated annexing Canada in recent months, rattling Canadian politics.
The 51st-state jabs sometimes appear tongue-in-cheek: Mr. Trump referred to Carney’s predecessor — who stepped down as prime minister ahead of new elections this year — as “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada.” In other cases, Mr. Trump has cast absorbing Canada as a tidy way of resolving the U.S.’s trade deficit with its northern neighbor.
But Trudeau has reportedly called Mr. Trump’s talk of absorbing Canada “a real thing,” telling business and labor leaders in a private meeting that he sees taking over Canada as a way of getting access to the country’s mineral wealth, according to the public broadcaster CBC. Many Canadian voters hold the same view, according to McCallion.
“I think maybe the first or second time, people were offended but thought he was kidding. And at this point, certainly no Canadians think he’s kidding,” McCallion said. “Most Canadians are taking it as a serious threat.”
When asked whether he would use military force to take over Canada, Mr. Trump said earlier this month, “I don’t see it.” But in a White House meeting with Carney days later, the U.S. leader still called the idea of annexing Canada a “wonderful marriage” that would deliver “tremendous” benefits to Canada, and referred to the border between the two countries as “artificial.”
Carney said in the meeting Canada “won’t be for sale, ever.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Trump has imposed sweeping tariffs on many Canadian goods, leading Canada to hit the U.S. with retaliatory levies.
Last month’s Canadian elections were dominated by Mr. Trump’s tariffs and annexation comments, and the race was widely seen as a referendum on who Canadians trusted more to deal with the Trump administration.
Carney’s Liberal Party — which has held power for almost a decade — previously trailed the Conservatives in polling, but its fortunes rebounded after Mr. Trump’s jabs at Canada. In a victory speech, Carney said the country’s “old relationship with the United States … is over,” and argued Mr. Trump is “trying to break us so that America can own us.”
“Our national identity is at times muddied because it’s made up of so many different cultures that have come together,” McCallion told CBS News. “Often, Canadians primarily express their national identity as not being American.”