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OTTAWA \u2014 Seated in a brand-new throne and surrounded by Canadian dignitaries, King Charles opened Parliament Tuesday with a show of royal tradition.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday morning, the King became the first reigning monarch to read a speech from the throne in Canada in nearly half a century.<\/p>\n
In it, he proclaimed the \u201cTrue North is indeed strong and free,\u201d reaffirming Canada\u2019s sovereignty while underscoring the \u201cunprecedented\u201d challenges the nation faces.<\/p>\n
King Charles said that every time he visits, \u201ca little more of Canada seeps into my bloodstream \u2014 and from there straight to my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
The speech from the throne begins a new session of Parliament and is typically read by the governor general as the King\u2019s representative in Canada. Written by the federal government, the speech lays out its priorities for the legislative session.<\/p>\n
The King read portions of the speech in French.<\/p>\n
King Charles is the first monarch ever to sit in the new throne designed for the Senate of Canada chamber. The throne includes the late Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s cipher \u2014 a monogram that serves as a sovereign\u2019s personal emblem \u2014 and incorporates a piece of English walnut from Windsor Great Park, a nod to King Charles.<\/p>\n
The King sat next to Queen Camilla as he read the roughly 27-minute speech. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Gov. Gen. Mary Simon were among those guiding the King and Queen through the Red Chamber and making introductions.<\/p>\n
Also present for the speech were former prime ministers Justin Trudeau and Stephen Harper \u2014 seated next to each other \u2014 and former governors general David Johnston, Micha\u00eblle Jean and Adrienne Clarkson. Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre was also present, as were various provincial premiers.<\/p>\n
The King and Queen started the second day of their Canadian visit this morning by travelling in Canada\u2019s state landau past crowds of admirers in front of Parliament Hill.<\/p>\n
The King wore a dark blue striped suit with the Order of Canada around his neck and his customary medal array. Next to him, the Queen was wearing a navy blue dress and hat.<\/p>\n
They were joined by Simon and her husband Whit Fraser.<\/p>\n
The landau was escorted down Wellington Street in Ottawa by mounted RCMP officers.<\/p>\n
The King and Queen arrived shortly after 10 a.m. at the Senate building, where the King received full military honours and a 100-person honour guard from the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment.<\/p>\n
The ceremony included an inspection of the guard and band and a 21-gun salute.<\/p>\n
Royal watchers gathered along the parade route shared mixed emotions ahead of the procession Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Beth MacDonald, a royalist who attended King Charles\u2019 coronation two years ago, said she makes a point of attending every royal event she can. This one has added significance, she said, because it\u2019s happening more than a year after the King announced his cancer diagnosis.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is going to be, I\u2019ll almost say, bittersweet, because I know it\u2019s probably his last visit over here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
King Charles made at least 18 official visits to Canada as the Prince of Wales. This is his first trip to Canada since his coronation.<\/p>\n
The King is the first reigning British monarch to read the speech from the throne since his mother Queen Elizabeth II delivered the speech in 1977.<\/p>\n
David Greenberg, who was among the crowds lining the parade route, also attended the parade for the previous monarch\u2019s throne speech. He said he was watching history happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t happen very often. It may not happen again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The royal visit is happening at a critical moment, as U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly calls for Canada\u2019s annexation and attempts to overturn the rules of global trade with tariffs.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think in the long run it\u2019ll do good for Canadians to remember we\u2019re Canadians, and not the 51st state,\u201d MacDonald said. \u201cMaybe this visit and him doing the throne speech will remind Canadians of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elizabeth Armstrong, another of the royal watchers in the crowd Tuesday morning, called it a \u201cstrong but quiet statement from His Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n
The royal couple arrived in Ottawa Monday afternoon. They spent time at a local farmers market and held private audiences with Carney and Simon.<\/p>\n
The King will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier later Tuesday, before returning to the airport to end the visit.<\/p>\n
\u00a92025 The Canadian Press<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n