King Charles III is about to make the first visit to Canada of his reign.
The King, with Queen Camilla, will become only the second Monarch to open the country’s parliament during his brief trip.
The royal visit runs from May 26 to May 27 2025 and will last just 24 hours in total but it’s already being seen as one of the most important trips of Charles III’s reign.
New Prime Minister, Mark Carney, invited The King and Queen to visit for the Opening of Parliament following a snap election which saw his Liberal Party remain in power during a campaign dominated by reactions to American President, Donald Trump, making repeated claims that Canada could become the 51st US state.
(Photograph by Millie Pilkington 2024)
King Charles had already invited Donald Trump for a State Visit to the UK which is expected to take place as early as this year. President Trump has made no secret of his admiration for the Royal Family and was thrilled to be presented with the personal invitation from The King by UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, before the world’s press in the White House.
Mark Carney has expressed disquiet over that invitation and has made sure The King is in Canada before any more meetings with President Trump and for a real moment of history.
Charles III is only the second Monarch to open Canada’s parliament – the first was his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The pomp and ceremony of that event, which will see King Charles and Queen Camilla driven through the streets of Ottawa in a State Landau, will be a high point of the visit which will pack plenty into little more than a full day.
King Charles and Queen Camilla will be given a ceremonial welcome on arrival in Ottawa before making their way to a special event celebrating the cultural diversity and heritage of Canada where they will meet a wide range of community representatives.
Just hours after their arrival, The Queen will be sworn in as a member of Canada’s Privy Council and The King will hold audiences with the Governor General and with PM Mark Carney.
Day one also includes a reception for lieutenant governors and territorial commissioners.
On May 27 2025, King Charles and Queen Camilla will travel in procession through Ottawa to the Senate for the Opening of Parliament.
King Charles will give the Speech from the Throne. It’s been written by the Canadian government but His Majesty is reported to have added his own comments, too, just as Queen Elizabeth II did when she delivered her last Speech from the Throne in Canada, in 1977.
Their Majesties will end their visit to Canada by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.
