Back off, Donald: King Charles prepares to love-bomb Canada

The king of the U.K. and Canada is reminding Donald Trump who’s head of state.






King Charles III is not letting Donald Trump grab his coveted 51st state without a fight.

As he heads to Canada for an historic opening of the country’s parliament Tuesday, the 76-year-old British monarch — who remains Canada’s head of state — is summoning all the soft power he can muster in support of the country.

Charles trip will mark the first time a British monarch has delivered a so-called “Speech from the Throne” since 1977 — a highly public show of support for Ottawa at a time when the U.S. president has ramped up the hostile rhetoric, lobbed tariffs Canada’s way, and even flirted with annexation of his northern neighbor.

Canada is one of 14 Commonwealth realms, independent nations which continue to have the British monarch as head of state. The Canadian government is already seeing Charles’ visit as a clear show of support, with newly-elected Prime Minister Mark Carney describing the king’s trip as sending “a message of sovereignty.”

The links between the royals and the Canadian PM are strong. Carney’s brother Sean is the chief operating officer at Kensington Palace — the working residence of Charles’ son and heir Prince William.

And for Charles, this one is personal. His mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, was deeply passionate about her Commonwealth role.

But it’s not a risk-free strategy. Back in the U.K., it could cut across the U.K. government’s focus on charming, rather than fighting, the U.S. president.

And royal skeptics in Canada warn it could reignite republican debate among a largely-agnostic Canadian public.

It’s no mistake

Very little happens by mistake in Charles’ image-conscious Royal household.

His team is packed with former diplomatic high flyers, including his most senior courtier Clive Alderton, who was once U.K. ambassador to Morocco.

Since December, when the Trump saber-rattling started, reminders of the king’s role as Canada’s head of state have come thick and fast.

These have included a message of support on social media describing Canada as a “resilient and compassionate country” on the 60th anniversary of its flag day in February, to donning a bright red tie while hosting Trump adversary Carney shortly after he became prime minister.

During his recent state visit to Italy, Charles pointedly referred to himself as “king of the United Kingdom and of Canada.” At the 80th anniversary of VE Day earlier this month he talked about the conflict “in which British, and Canadian forces played a key role.”

Just this week Charles, and his wife Queen Camilla, visited Canada House — the central London high commission, to mark its 100th anniversary.

Charles has long-wanted to visit Canada as king, and has been talking about it since ascending to the throne in 2022, according to a former government official familiar with internal discussions around royal visits, granted anonymity to speak candidly about private discussions.

While Carney officially extended an invitation to King Charles when he visited in March, days after becoming prime minister, it had been made clear to the Canadian government that an invitation would be well-received by the king.

It has not gone unnoticed in Buckingham Palace that the U.S. president seems to have piped down the rhetoric on Canada — at least for now.

He’s our king too

Charles has to walk a fine line in his trip, however — ensuring he is keeping governments in both Ottawa and London sweet.

While Carney has been squaring up to Trump, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been cosying up to the U.S. president, extending an offer to Trump of an unprecedented second state visit in the king’s name — something Carney made clear Canadians were displeased about.

Robert Hardman, who recently published an authorized biography of the king — “Charles III: New King. New Court” — points out that there have been “worse situations” when it comes to differing approaches in the Commonwealth.

Ted Heath, who had strong reservations about the Commonwealth as prime minister, advised Queen Elizabeth II not to go to the Commonwealth summit in 1971 — an order she felt bound to adhere to, despite being annoyed. She was invited to go to the following summit directly by the-then Canadian PM Pierre Trudeau, meaning there was little Heath could do.

Elizabeth was left in a similarly tricky situation in the 1980s when most of the Commonwealth had wanted to impose sanctions on South Africa, while Margaret Thatcher had not.

“What your role is then is to try and not exactly be a peace broker, but at least sort of encourage a level of understanding, make sure things stay amicable,” Hardman said.

Under the U.K.’s constitutional monarchy, Charles acts on the advice of the British government — but that doesn’t mean Charles is “just some guy who goes to the things he is told to go to,” the same former government official quoted above said.

“The king is the king of Canada as well, so he’s speaking on the advice of the government of Canada when he is speaking as king of Canada, when he’s doing something in respect of Canada,” David Landsman, a former diplomat who is now senior adviser at the British Foreign Policy Group think tank, explained.

A British diplomat rejected the suggestion the King’s support for Canada sits in tension with the U.K. government’s own strategy. They described Carney’s own visit to the White House as “pretty positive,” contrasting it with the major personality clash between Trump and his predecessor Justin Trudeau.

Don’t expect Charles to be too forthright with Trump when it comes time to eventually host that second U.K. state visit, either — though royal watchers will be keeping an eye on the coded messages.

“Put it this way … I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s maple syrup on the menu somewhere,” Hardman quipped.

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