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King Charles III is set to make his first trip to Canada as monarch next Monday, where he’ll be accompanied by Queen Camilla.
While the focus of the King’s visit is to deliver the Speech from the Throne on May 27, the two royals will also meet with community organizations and members of the public, officials from Canadian Heritage said.
The King and Queen will arrive in Ottawa the afternoon of May 26 and be greeted at the airport by Governor-General Mary Simon, Prime Minister Mark Carney, and an arrival guard of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, among others.
They will then travel to Lansdowne Park to meet with the public and community organizations, and from there to Rideau Hall, where they will participate in a ceremonial tree planting. The King will also hold audiences with Ms. Simon and Mr. Carney.
The next day, the royal couple will travel down Wellington Street from the Bank of Canada to the Senate using Canada’s State Landau, where they will be accompanied by 28 RCMP horses.
The King will receive full military honours upon arrival, including an inspection of the guard and band, and a 21-gun salute.
The Throne Speech ceremony is expected to incorporate many Indigenous elements. Before the King reads the speech, a young Métis fiddle player will give a performance and an Inuit elder will light a ceremonial fire.
The King and Queen will also pay their respects at the National War Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The King’s decision to travel to Canada to deliver the Throne Speech is seen as a significant gesture in light of U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to make Canada the 51st state.
You can read more about the trip here.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla leave after a visit to Canada House, the High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom, in London on May 20, 2025, to mark 100 years since it opened.ARTHUR EDWARDS/AFP/Getty Images
What else is going on
Netanyahu says Canada, U.K., France offering ‘huge prize’ to Hamas with Gaza letter: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s statement came after a joint statement Monday from Canada, Britain and France threatening “targeted sanctions” on Israel in response to its renewed military offensive in Gaza and the “wholly inadequate” amount of food aid allowed into the enclave. Britain has since suspended free-trade negotiations with Israel and has ordered new sanctions targeting West Bank settlements.
Weekend work remains a key sticking point between Canada Post, workers as strike nears: Postal workers have threatened to strike starting Friday, which would be their second in six months. While Canada Post wants to see a group of part-time employees to work weekends, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers wants to have a purely full-time work force.
Global trade war dominates agenda for Group of Seven finance ministers meeting in Banff: The agenda for the three-day meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors will include the global economy, economic resilience and Ukraine. the underlying theme will be trying to address U.S. protectionism.
Former chief of staff to Alberta Premier lived in home owned by Sam Mraiche’s sister: Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s former chief of staff Marshall Smith lived in a $1.6-million Edmonton home owned by the sister of Sam Mraiche, a businessman whose dealings with Alberta Health Services are subject to multiple investigations.
On our radar
- Prime Minister’s Day: Prime Minister Mark Carney spent the day at a Cabinet Planning Forum, where the government looked at how to advance its agenda on the economy, trade, affordability and community safety.
- Liberal Party Convention: The Liberal Party says its next national convention will take place from April 9-11, 2026, in Montreal.
- New inflation data: Statistics Canada reports the country’s inflation rate was 1.7 per cent in April, down from 2.3 per cent in March. Some of that decline was owing to the end of the consumer carbon on April 1.
Question period
How many times has King Charles visited Canada?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
Scott Moe must repair Saskatchewan’s relationship with Ottawa
Mr. Moe has a great opportunity to put forward a strong vision for Saskatchewan and the country next month, during the meeting between Mr. Carney and the premiers in Saskatoon. More than ever in its history, Canada needs leaders who are willing to lean forward and walk side-by-side with purpose.
— Nevin Markwart, former NHL player and former Saskatchewan Party candidate
The clash between Canada and America is about nationhood – but it’s also about what each country now represents
“Canada” as an idea stands today for liberal democracy, and “America” for illiberalism. This – not the trade balance or fentanyl – is the real reason Mr. Trump wants to do away with Canada; he also wants to do away with what “Canada” represents, in his own country.
— Ivan Kalmar, professor at the University of Toronto
Canada still faces a massive brain-drain problem
Even as anti-Trump sentiment grows – and despite headlines celebrating a handful of American academics’ moves to the University of Toronto, where I teach, there are clear signs that the flow of affluent, talented Canadians heading south is accelerating, not slowing down.
— Richard Florida, professor at the University of Toronto
Go deeper
- Follow along for our stories on Canada-U.S. relations as news develops
- Like a long read? Check out the fall of Justin Trudeau and the making of Pierre Poilievre
- Take a look at the history of immigration reporting and great political scandals from A Nation’s Paper, a book about The Globe and Mail’s role in Canadian history
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The answer to today’s question: King Charles has visited Canada 19 times. Next week’s visit will mark his 20th visit to the country.