King Charles delivers Throne Speech asserting Canada’s sovereignty, pledging major transformation in economy

In a ceremony marked by pomp and pageantry, King Charles III opened Parliament on Tuesday, delivering a Throne Speech that affirmed Canada’s sovereignty and promised the largest transformation in the Canadian economy since the Second World War.

The speech, written by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office in consultation with the King’s office, touched on Liberal election promises, including a middle-class tax cut, an end to interprovincial trade barriers, and fast approvals of major infrastructure projects. It framed them as part of a generational opportunity to renew and fortify the country at an uncertain time for the world.

The message laced through the Throne Speech was that Canada is an independent country, ready to negotiate a trade and security arrangement with the U.S. but also determined to forge new trade and defence ties with other partners. The King’s presence was widely seen as a signal to U.S. President Donald Trump that Canada is unwilling to abandon its distinct heritage and traditions.

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The King and Queen Camilla arrived at the Senate, a temporary location housed in a converted railway station, in horse-drawn carriage, accompanied by Governor-General Mary Simon and her husband Whit Fraser. The streets were lined with onlookers keen to get a glimpse of the royal couple, and the crowds several times burst into spontaneous eruptions of God Save the King.

Mr. Carney, former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, invited the King a few days after he won the Liberal Party leadership, as Mr. Trump was talking of turning the country into the 51st state.

In a preamble that was written by the King, the monarch spoke about how each time he visits this country, including this 20th trip, “a little more of Canada seeps into my bloodstream.”

“I have always had the greatest admiration for Canada’s unique identity, which is recognized across the world,” King Charles said. He also spoke to the importance of the monarchy to Canadian history. “The Crown has for so long been a symbol of unity for Canada.”

The King mentioned that when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, opened Parliament in 1957, it was in the aftermath of the Second World War and in the midst of the Cold War. The world faces a different threat with democratic pluralism, the rule of law and freedom under assault, he said.

Honour guard, 21-gun salute among pageantry during King Charles’s final day in Canada

Looking back at King Charles’s royal visits to Canada

“The system of open global trade that, while not perfect, has helped to deliver prosperity for Canadians for decades, is changing. Canada’s relationships with partners is also changing,” he said.

The King acknowledged that “many Canadians are feeling anxious and worried about the drastically changing world around them,” but called on the country to look at the U.S. trade war as an opportunity to think bigger and better.

“An opportunity for Canada to embark on the largest transformation of its economy since the Second World War,” he said. “All Canadians can give themselves far more than any foreign power on any continent can ever take away.” He added that “by staying true to Canadian values, Canada can build new alliances and a new economy that serves all Canadians.”

Late Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Trump repeated his rhetoric about annexing Canada, claiming the country is “considering” the proposition, although it has roundly rejected it.

In a Truth Social post, Mr. Trump held out what he described as the US$61-billion cost of participating in his proposed missile defence system as a reason for Ottawa to agree to annexation.

The Prime Minister’s Office would not say whether Mr. Trump had delivered this same message or the cost figure to the government directly.

King Charles’s Throne Speech praised for defending Canada without treading on U.S.-U.K. relations

It’s rare for Canada’s monarch to read the Throne Speech. Usually it is read by the governor-general. Queen Elizabeth II, the only other reigning monarch to read the speech, did so twice. The King travelled to Canada specifically to deliver it, but also spent Monday touring parts of Ottawa and planting a tree, and later Tuesday lay a wreath at the National War Memorial, before departing back to Britain.

He and Camilla sent words of thanks to Canadians for a successful first trip as sovereign.

“It was the warmest of welcomes – and the fondest of returns to a land and a people we love,” the King posted to social media.

“Until the next time, au revoir, Canada.”

Among the many dignitaries invited to attend the opening of Parliament were former prime ministers Justin Trudeau, Stephen Harper and Kim Campbell and former governors-general Adrienne Clarkson, Michaëlle Jean and David Johnston.

The speech also reiterated many of the top-line promises from Mr. Carney’s election platform, from speeding up housing construction to toughening border security to cracking down on stolen cars and fentanyl trafficking, and boosting Canada’s presence in the High Arctic.

The government committed Canada to join the ReArm Europe plan, a major defence procurement project to ramp up military arms production in Europe.

The move could reduce Canada’s reliance on the United States for purchases of military equipment.

In an outreach to Indigenous peoples, the Throne Speech also pledged up to $10-billion in loans to enable more communities to become owners of major projects.

In a reflection of Mr. Carney’s campaign pledge to move swiftly, within hours of the speech, the government tabled a ways-and-means motion to cut personal income tax, the GST on homes and formally end the consumer price on carbon. The motion is a precursor to eventual legislation.

The new government, which won a strong minority mandate of 169 seats, also vowed to reduce federal spending.

The opposition parties offered tepid reviews of the remarks, with all three parties saying it sent negative signs about what kind of government Mr. Carney will run.

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said to him, the speech set up Mr. Carney as the “CEO of Canada,” with the provinces just as regional offices.

“This is not the way it works,” Mr. Blanchet said.

Interim NDP leader Don Davies said some elements of the speech sounded like they could have been written by a Conservative government, with its mentions of defence, crime and a focus on natural resource development. There was no discussion of health care, affordable housing or expanding existing programs such as child care or pharmacare, he said.

“That’s why New Democrats are going to be, I think, such an important voice in Parliament to be pushing for progressive policies,” he said.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told reporters he’d have written a different speech, one that laid out far more specifics.

“Let’s replace the talking points with real plans to get it done,” he said.

Mr. Poilievre, whose party was on track to win the recent election until taking on Mr. Trump became the ballot box question, also acknowledged the meaning of having the King deliver the speech.

“I think it’s important that the world recognize that we have those ancient traditions, that the Americans recognize that we are an independent and free country, that will make its own decisions.”

With a report from Adrian Morrow