With King Charles set to visit Canada, the monarchy finds new relevance as Trump threatens annexation
When King Charles III ascended the throne in 2022 after the death of his popular mother, Queen Elizabeth II, support for the monarchy was fading and several Commonwealth countries were considering dropping the King as head of state.
Now, as King Charles makes his first visit to Canada as monarch next week, his popularity is soaring and the monarchy has found new relevance in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump's talk of annexation.
'This is a chance for Charles to demonstrate on the world stage the active role that the monarchy plays in the constitutional democracies of Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and other countries, in a world that is frequently asking, 'What's the point of having a royal family?'' said Justin Vovk a historian at McMaster University. 'It sends a message to people in Canada and the United States about why Canada is separate, why Canada is different.'
The King's constitutional role will be on full display Tuesday when he reads the Speech from the Throne to open the 45th Parliament. It's only the second time the monarch has opened Parliament – Queen Elizabeth did it in 1957 to open the 23rd Parliament and 20 years later she read the Throne Speech to begin the third session of the 30th Parliament.
Dr. Vovk said Prime Minister Mark Carney's decision to invite King Charles –officially extending the invite in March, not long after he took office – was shrewd.
'It's an ace up the sleeve for him to be able to say to Trump: 'This person, this institution that you love and respect and admire is at the heart of our institution, the heart of our identity as Canadians, as a sovereign country.''
Pageantry, spectacle and hockey to mark King Charles's visit to Ottawa
The two-day trip to Ottawa comes at an opportune time for King Charles, who has struggled to win over the public and form an identity separate from his mother, who reigned for 70 years.
At the time of his coronation in May, 2023, expectations of him were low and the future of the monarchy looked uncertain.
His popularity in Canada had fallen by eight points to 37 per cent in the six months after the Queen died, according to an Ipsos poll taken just before the coronation. Six in 10 of those surveyed also wanted a referendum on the role of the monarchy.
Several Commonwealth governments were also voicing discontent at having the King as head of state. Barbados became a republic in 2021 and last year the Jamaican government introduced legislation to follow suit.
During a trip to Australia last October King Charles faced awkward questions about republicanism and there have been calls from a number of Commonwealth leaders in the Caribbean for reparations to address the Crown's role in the slave trade.
His age, 76, and cancer treatments have also forced him to cut back on public events and travel, further eroding his presence on the world stage.
Mr. Trump's return to the White House has given King Charles a new purpose – a chance to show his mettle in defence of one of his realms and use Mr. Trump's fascination with the Royal Family to pursue diplomatic objectives.
While protocol dictates that the King can't comment publicly on political matters, he has managed to send some not-too-subtle signals of support for Canada in recent months.
During a recent meeting with Mr. Carney at Buckingham Palace, it was widely noted that the King wore a red tie. In March, King Charles visited a British aircraft carrier wearing a string of Canadian medals and planted a red maple tree on the palace grounds in honour of Commonwealth forests. He also celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Canadian flag in February by calling it 'a symbol of a proud, resilient and compassionate country.'
'He's shown his views by various acts of what you might call soft power and he takes his role as King of Canada very seriously', said Vernon Bogdanor, professor of government at King's College London and author of The Monarchy and the Constitution.
How do you feel about King Charles's visit to Ottawa? Share your thoughts
The ties between the royals and Canada have a personal dimension, too. Mr. Carney, as governor of the Bank of England for seven years, earned wide respect for navigating the 2016 Brexit crisis. The Prime Minister's brother Sean Carney, a former investment banker, runs the household of Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, as Kensington Palace's chief operating officer.
King Charles's quiet solidarity seems to be paying off. A recent poll of 1,001 people by Research Co. showed that 31 per cent wanted Canada to remain a monarchy. That was up eight points from a similar poll a year earlier. King Charles's personal approval had also climbed to 40 per cent.
The King does have a tricky balancing act when it comes to Mr. Trump, given the monarch's many roles.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has tapped into Mr. Trump's admiration of royalty to curry favour. When he met Mr. Trump in the Oval Office in February, Mr. Starmer dramatically pulled out a letter from King Charles inviting Mr. Trump for a state visit this fall. He's the first U.S. President to be given that honour twice.
The invitation has not gone down well with Mr. Carney, who bluntly told Sky News this month that Mr. Starmer's move rankled Canadians. 'To be frank, they weren't impressed by that gesture, quite simply, given the circumstance,' Mr. Carney said.
Nonetheless the state visit will force Charles to carefully weigh his many responsibilities.
The King could serve as a unifying force and improve Mr. Trump's relations with Britain, Canada and other nations. There's even been speculation in The Daily Mail that during Mr. Trump's state visit King Charles will extend an invitation for the U.S. to join the Commonwealth as an associate member.
In a message posed on social media in March, Mr. Trump welcomed the idea: 'I Love King Charles. Sounds good to me!'
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