King Charles greets members of the public along Wellington Street, on May 27.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
Canada did not stint on pageantry during King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s second and final day in Ottawa, laying on full military honours including a ceremonial 21-gun salute, a 100-strong guard of honour and a flypast by four CF-18s.
Twenty-two horses from the Mounties’ Musical Ride escorted the royal couple in an open-top carriage to the Senate, as large crowds lined the streets, in hopes of catching a glimpse of the King on his way to open Parliament and read the Speech from the Throne.
The hastily arranged two-day visit, at the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Carney, was the King’s 20th to Canada, but his first as sovereign.
The King wore a blue pinstripe suit and light blue tie, while Queen Camilla wore a blue dress and blue hat with an exaggerated brim, as well as a three-strand pearl necklace with a diamond clasp at the centre. With a nod to her role as Colonel-in-Chief of a Canadian regiment, Camilla also wore a diamond-encrusted Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada brooch.
Queen Camilla and King Charles III smile as they arrive at the Senate Chamber.Chris Jackson/Getty Images
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A crowd of spectators broke into cheers as the royal couple arrived at the Senate escorted by Mounties from the Musical Ride, riding in a small carriage that was built in the 1890s in Australia and later refurbished in Quebec.
The state landau, which also carried Governor-General Mary Simon and her husband, Whit Fraser, was driven by acting RCMP Sergeant-Major Jeremy Dawson, who had started preparing Carter and Hudson, the two RCMP horses drawing the carriage, at 3 a.m.
King Charles receives a royal salute upon arrival at senate.Sarah Espedido/The Globe and Mail
King Charles laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, after delivering the government's Speech from the Throne.
The Canadian Press
A 21-gun salute left a haze of smoke in the air outside the Senate, where Mr. Carney and his wife, Diana Fox Carney, greeted the royal couple.
The King received the royal salute from 100 members of the Royal Canadian Regiment resplendent in their dress uniforms, including red tunics and white pith helmets with gold spikes. As he carried out the inspection of the guard, the soldiers stood ramrod straight holding C-7 rifles with bayonets in white-gloved hands, as the blazing sun reflected from their polished black boots.
King Charles and Queen Camilla look on ahead of the King delivering the speech from the throne in the Senate in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Led by Greg Peters, Usher of the Black Rod, wearing a tricorn hat, a procession that included the Canadian secretary to the King, the Prime Minister and the Chief of the Defence Staff wended its way with the royal couple toward the chamber, where the King and Queen took their seats in the monarch’s and consort’s thrones.
The monarch’s throne in the Senate, ornately carved from walnut, is adorned with maple leaves and symbols of the Crown, including a Tudor rose, though it still bears Queen Elizabeth II’s ER insignia.
Among those in the audience for the Speech from the Throne were several former prime ministers, including Justin Trudeau.
Many Canadians who lined the streets to see the royal couple said the King and Queen’s visit was an important gesture in support of Canada’s sovereignty.
Gerry Hogan, who is originally from Devon, England, stood behind a barrier with a bird’s-eye view of the Senate, displaying both a Canadian flag and a Union Jack.
She applauded the King and Queen for coming here to support Canada after U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments about turning the country into the 51st state.
“I think it is really great he is coming now. It shows solidarity and that the British and Canadians are together,” she said.
Rushad Thomas, who described himself as an American monarchist, drove up to Ottawa from Hyattsville, Md., to show his “love and respect for Canada as a sovereign country.”
Mr. Thomas said the trip was also “a form of protest” against Mr. Trump, whom he said has “launched unprovoked attacks” on Canada. He said he came to show gratitude for everything Canada has done for his country.
“It was 100-per-cent worth it to leave at 1 a.m. and get here at 10 o’clock in the morning and be sleep-deprived,” he said.
Olivia Walker, a student from Hamilton who studies Tudor and modern royal history, had travelled to Ottawa alone to witness the occasion, saying the timing of the King’s visit to Canada was symbolic.
“With the political climate we are in and the threats from America, it is good to reinforce our sovereignty,” she said.
Cheers from the crowd and cries of “God save the King” greeted the royal couple after they emerged from the Senate and walked in the blazing heat to the nearby National War Memorial.
At the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Mounties – including one bearing the Eagle Staff, a sacred symbol representing traditional Indigenous clans – stood vigil with serving members of the Royal Canadian Navy.
The King wrote a personal message – “In eternal memory, Charles” – on a wreath of poppies he laid at the tomb. He was handed the wreath by Sergeant Wendy Jocko, who, after retiring from 23 years in the armed forces, had served as chief of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation.
Queen Camilla laid a bouquet of red and white flowers on the unknown soldier’s tomb, with a handwritten message in English and French saying, “Lest we forget, Camilla R.”
As they departed, the King waved as onlookers let out cries of “God save the King” and chants of “hip, hip, hooray.”
The King waved to the crowd as he departed in a motorcade from the National War Memorial to the airport to loud cheers.
He was greeted at the airport by a guard of 25 members of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, before flying back to Britain on a Royal Canadian Air Force plane.
As the King wrapped up his visit, two Canadians from Brantford, Ont., said they had made sure they wouldn’t miss a moment by sleeping in their car.
Kim Long and her daughter Darien drove nearly seven hours and spent the night parked near the royal motorcade route, securing a prime viewing spot in the morning.
“It was well worth it,” said Ms. Long, who was born in London, England. “We were glad to be part of history.”
Asked what stood out most, she didn’t hesitate: “When they came by in the horse-drawn carriage, with the horses from the Musical Ride, it was just amazing. We also saw Prime Minister Mark Carney, which was exciting.”
As the King departed, she offered a heartfelt message: “We want him to know we love and support him. It was wonderful to see such a big turnout.”
With reports from Ijeoma Ukazu and Abyssinia Abebe