Reuters
[Source: Reuters]
King Charles flies to Canada on Monday for a highly symbolic visit showing support for the nation that recognises him as its sovereign but is coveted by U.S. President Donald Trump as a 51st U.S. state.
Following an invitation from Prime Minister Mark Carney, Charles will open parliament in Ottawa on Tuesday, the first time a British monarch has carried out the duty since his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, did so 68 years ago.
The 76-year-old king is still undergoing cancer treatment, which has limited his workload, so the two-day trip shows his commitment to Canada, one of 15 countries where he is monarch.
Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to annex Canada, a proposition fiercely rebuffed by Carney whose election win last month came partly on the back of that stance.
Charles has made subtle signals of his backing for Canada in recent months, wearing Canadian medals, calling himself the king of Canada, and describing its flag as “a symbol that never fails to elicit a sense of pride and admiration”.
However, he faces a tricky balancing act as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is working to keep Trump onside over Ukraine and trade ties.
When Starmer visited the White House in February he made great show of an invite from Charles for an unprecedented second state visit for Trump, whose mother was born in Britain and who has repeatedly praised the British royal family.
Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England, said that had irked Canadians.
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