Canada Waits for its Monarch

Canada Waits for its Monarch

Deepak Razdan

Sunday, 25 May, 2025

As Palestinians go through "the cruellest phase" of the war and EU is threatened with 50 per cent US tariffs, Canada prepares for a momentous event in its history.

King Charles III, King of Canada and 13 other Commonwealth Realms, besides the United Kingdom, will be on a two-day visit of Canada on 26 and 27 May. He will be accompanied by the Queen.

The King will open the first session of Canada’s 45th Parliament and deliver his speech from the Throne on Tuesday, 27th May.

This will be the first time in nearly 50 years that Canada’s Monarch will take part in the State Opening of Canadian Parliament.

The occasion is also significant because of recent statements by US President Donald Trump that Canada should join the US as its 51st State for prosperity.

Mr Trump’s suggestion caused great resentment in Canada and was a campaign issue during recent federal elections.

The King’s visit will highlight Canada’s association with a centuries old symbol of stability at a time when the world is grappling with political and economic instability due to armed conflicts and uncertain trade tariffs.

Announcing the Royal Visit, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on 2nd May “Canada has a steadfast defender in our Sovereign.” The King’s historic honour “matches the weight of our times,” he said.

Inviting the King for Parliament’s opening was clearly Canada’s assertion of its sovereignty and a separate identity.

A complete gentleman at Mr Trump’s Oval Office media briefing, Mr Carney had repeatedly stated Canada is not for sale, rejecting Mr Trump’s suggestion for Canada’s merger with the US.

There will be plenty of spectacle and colourful ceremony in Ottawa during the King’s visit that will cheer up spirits of all Canadians trying to regain balance after the US tariffs.

Mr Carney was sworn in as Prime Minister by Governor-General Mary Simon on 14 March, 2025. In the next few weeks, he not only conceived the King’s visit, but also talked to international leaders to show Canada’s strong global standing.

Within days of assuming office, Mr Carney visited England and France on 17 March. While there was support for Ukraine during the visits and plans to strengthen bilateral economic ties, an iteration of Canada’s strong relations with the two countries was noteworthy.

Mr Carney’s meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was meant to strengthen ties with “steadfast and reliable partners,” it was officially stated. Anchored in long-standing alliances, shared histories, and enduring ties, the two leaders agreed that the partnership between Canada and the UK will only get stronger, Mr Carney’s office said.

In Paris, Mr Carney met President Emmanuel Macron and they extended support to Ukraine. They also emphasized “the rich and strong relationship between Canada and France, rooted in a shared history and common language, strong ties between our cultures and our peoples, as well as shared values such as democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.”

Looking at how Mr Trump’s tariff war had upended the world trade system, Mr Carney and Mr Macron even said they were committed to defend rules-based free trade and wanted closer cooperation in responsible and safe artificial intelligence, critical minerals, and clean energy.

Days before he had a telephonic talk with Mr Trump and then visited Washington to meet him, Mr Carney had a virtual meeting with the Prime Minister’s Council on Canada-US Relations on 19 March to prepare himself on US tariffs and the anticipated 2nd April announcements.

Members of the PM’s Council told him about Canada’s response, including counter-tariffs. The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of engaging with US counterparts on the basis of mutual respect.

On 28 March, Mr Carney had a conversation with Mr Trump on phone and informed the President that the Canadian government will implement retaliatory tariffs to protect Canadian workers and economy when he announces additional US trade actions on 2nd April, 2025.

After this, Mr Carney had a series of talks on phone with several international leaders. They included Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, then German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Secretary General Mark Rutte, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European Council President António Costa, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

He also had talks with Japanese, Australian and New Zealand Prime Ministers before meeting Mr Trump in the White House on 6th May. The meeting was noted for Mr Carney’s clear statement that Canada was not for sale; the owners of Canada (the voters) had told him so during the election campaign!

A statement by Mr Carney’s office said the Prime Minister and the President agreed to continue discussions over the coming weeks. They looked forward to meeting next month at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta.

Mr Carney’s talks with world leaders continued as proof that Canada was charting its course in international relations.

He met several international leaders at the first Mass of the new Pope Leo XIV. In a statement he congratulated Germany’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz on his swearing-in and then met him ahead of the first Mass of the New Pope on 18 May.

“As Allies and partners, the Prime Minister and the Chancellor discussed their shared commitment to upholding global peace and security, including helping Ukraine achieve a just and lasting peace,” a Canadian official statement said.

During his conversation with the Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Mr Carney reiterated the need for Hamas to release all hostages and stressed the imperative of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Mr Carney joined the French President and UK’s Prime Minister in issuing a strong joint statement on the Gaza situation describing the level of suffering there is intolerable and called upon the Israeli government to stop military operations there.

The Canadian Prime Minister covered a vast canvas in his international statements. Connecting with South Asia, he issued a statement to mark Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day on 18 May.

“Today marks 16 years since the end of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka – a conflict that spanned over 26 years and killed tens of thousands of civilians.

“On this Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, we remember the lives lost – the families torn apart, the communities devastated, and those who remain missing to this day. We also think of Canada’s Tamil community, who carry with them the memory of loved ones, and the many remembrance services planned across Canada.

“Canada continues to support independent international efforts to seek accountability and push for truth and justice. As we mark this solemn anniversary, let it strengthen our resolve to act in tribute, with courage, and for lasting peace,” he said. 

In another statement on 23 May, Mr Carney commemorated the Komagata Maru incident. “In 1914, the Komagata Maru steamship anchored in Vancouver’s harbour after a long journey across the Pacific. The 367 people abroad – of Sikh, Muslim and Hindu faiths – arrived seeking refuge and dignity.”

“Canadian authorities however, using exclusionary and discriminatory laws, refused them entry. For two months, passengers were detained on the ship and denied access to food, water, and medical care. When they were forced to return to India, many were imprisoned or killed there,”

“The Komagata Maru tragedy is a stark reminder of how, in moments of our history, Canada fell short of the values we hold dear. We cannot rewrite the past, but we must confront it; to act with purpose, to ensure that such injustices are never repeated, and to build a stronger future where inclusion is not a slogan, but a reality – lived, practised, and defended.

“Let this solemn anniversary serve as a call of remembrance and conscience. To honour the past is to learn from it, and to learn from it is to act,” the Canadian Prime Minister said.