There were big crowds, a warm welcome and plenty of cheers for The King and Queen as they arrived in Canada for an historic visit and Charles III ended the day with a triumphant gesture to match the mood.
As His Majesty planted a tree in the grounds of Rideau Hall in Ottawa, he got a big round of applause and matched it by holding his spade high in the air.
While in centuries past, those who held the throne might have waved a sword in a moment of victory, the Monarch who has made all things green one of his great passions seemed no less thrilled to have added another tree to the already impressive collection at the official home of the Governor General of Canada.
The blue beech planted by His Majesty sits near to trees rooted in place by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. A specimen planted by Charles III while he was Prince of Wales is also close by.
Queen Camilla almost missed her husband’s moment of triumph as she was wrestling with an umbrella that refused to go back down again but she was ready for the final flourish of the tree planting ceremony, clapping as the soil was laid over the roots, and then stepped in with a watering can to add the finishing touch.
The tree planting came after a hugely successful start to the first visit to Canada of the reign of King Charles III.
The King and Queen were given an official welcome as they landed in Ottawa with new Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, waiting for them at the bottom of the plane steps along with the Governor-General, Mary Simon.
There was music and celebration for them on the tarmac before they headed to Lansdowne Park to see the farmers’ market and a celebration of Canada’s cultural diversity.
King Charles dropped the ceremonial first puck in a game of street hockey while Queen Camilla chatted to many of the producers at the market.
The day ended with Queen Camilla being sworn in as a member of Canada’s Privy Council.
And, despite his success at tree planting, The King has an even more spectacular moment waiting for him on this historic trip. Charles III will become only the second Monarch to open parliament in the country in the sparkling set piece of a visit that was arranged in the aftermath of American President Donald Trump’s calls for Canada to become the 51st state.
