The King’s visit is a response to Trump’s 51st state threats. Will it help?

King Charles III is set to arrive in Ottawa to deliver the throne speech that marks the beginning of a new session of Parliament. This historic event will only be the third time that the Canadian monarch has read the speech from the throne, and it holds significant symbolism for Canadian sovereignty.

Philippe Lagassé, a professor at Carleton University specializing in the role of the Crown in Canada’s political system, emphasized the importance of the King’s visit in asserting Canadian sovereignty. Lagassé stated, “The King is the personification of the state. He is at the apex of it because he personifies it. He is, therefore, the legal personality of Canada.”

The timing of King Charles III’s visit to Canada is particularly noteworthy due to recent threats from U.S. President Trump to annex Canada as the 51st U.S. state. Trump’s ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, acknowledged that the King’s visit is a response to these threats, signaling Canada’s resistance to such actions.

The visit also follows an invitation extended by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Trump on behalf of King Charles III to meet at Balmoral, a royal estate in Scotland. Trump expressed his admiration for the royal family and the King, indicating his interest in visiting the country.

While some, like Québec MNAs Pascal Bérubé and Catherine Gentilcore, criticize the monarchy as an archaic and colonial symbol, others, including author Patricia Treble and former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations Perry Bellegarde, see the Crown as a vital institution with deep historical significance.

Treble referred to the Canadian crown as a “fire extinguisher” that is brought out in times of emergency, emphasizing its importance in times of uncertainty. Bellegarde highlighted the treaty relationship between Indigenous peoples and the Crown, emphasizing the sacred covenant that must be respected.

As King Charles III prepares to deliver the throne speech in Ottawa, the significance of the event cannot be understated. It serves as a reminder of Canada’s unique constitutional monarchy and the enduring relationship between the Crown and the Canadian people.