King Charles III arrived in Canada on Monday for a symbolic visit showing support for the country, which recognizes him as its sovereign, amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to acquire the North American nation as the 51st U.S. state.
Charles and his wife Queen Camilla landed at Ottawa Airport in Ontario, where the king met on the tarmac with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Governor General Mary Simon, the king’s representative in Canada. The king later held separate meetings with Carney and Simon.
Charles, 76, has kept a limited schedule while undergoing cancer treatment. His two-trip to Canada signals a strong commitment to the country, which is one of 15 nations where he is monarch.
This is Charles’ first visit to the former British colony since becoming king in September 2022.
The king accepted an invitation from Carney to open Parliament on Tuesday – the first time a British monarch has carried out the duty since his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, 68 years ago.
Carney invited Charles to Canada after Trump repeatedly suggested he wanted to annex the country, an idea fiercely rebuked by the prime minister, who secured an election win last month in part due to Canadians’ disapproval of Trump’s wish to make the country part of the U.S.
‘The prime minister has made it clear that Canada is not for sale now, is not for sale ever,’ Canada’s envoy to the U.K., Ralph Goodale, told reporters during a visit last week by Charles to Canada’s high commission in London.
‘The king, as head of state, will reinforce the power and the strength of that message,’ Goodale added.
Earlier this month, Carney told Trump that Canada is ‘not for sale’ and ‘won’t be for sale, ever’ during a meeting at the White House.
Charles has made subtle signals showing his support for Canada in recent months by wearing Canadian medals, calling himself the king of Canada and describing the country’s flag as ‘a symbol that never fails to elicit a sense of pride and admiration.’
The king now must perform a tricky balancing act as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is attempting to reach favorable outcomes with Trump over trade and the war in Ukraine.
When Starmer visited the White House in February, he delivered Trump an invitation from Charles for an unprecedented second state visit for the U.S. president, who has repeatedly praised the royal family.
Carney, however, said that gesture had upset Canadians.
Reuters contributed to this report.