United Kingdom’s King Charles, who is also King of Canada, met Mark Carney at Buckingham Palace and accorded a warm welcome to the new Canadian Prime Minister when he visited the Palace.
It was another symbolic gesture of support for Canada from a King, who has to send coded signals rather than spell things out in words, as Canada faces threats from US President Donald Trump. But the King has sought to make clear his commitment to Canada – and if it had not been for his cancer diagnosis, it is understood that he would have travelled there for an intended visit.
There are also suggestions that once Canada’s election is out of the way, a visit to Canada will be a priority, where he can further demonstrate his support. Present PM of Canada, Mark Carney says Canada will “never” become part of the US in his first speech, as the country’s prime minister.
The new PM in a standoff with President Donald Trump?
The new PM, who is facing a standoff with US President Donald Trump over an escalating trade war, says he “expects respect” from America and calls US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s latest comments on a 51st state “crazy”. Carney says he will visit France and the UK on his first overseas trip in the job, adding that he currently has “no plans” to meet Trump but “looks forward” to speaking to him
Asked about when a general election can be expected in Canada, the PM declines to say when it will be called, joking that Canadians can expect to vote before November. The election must be held before October
Speaking after the speech, opposition leader Pierre Poilievre says the Liberals don’t deserve another term and Carney’s new cabinet is made up of the same people who worked under Justin Trudeau.
Canada’s Carney makes statement by choosing Europe, not US, for first foreign trip: In normal times, the first foreign visit of a Canadian prime minister is to the country’s southern neighbor-the United States. But these are not normal times. Sources had said Mark Carney’s first stops after being sworn in today are to be Paris and London.
It’s being described as “emergency discussions on tariffs and trade” as President Trump imposes swinging tariffs on both sides of the Atlantic. It is also an urgent opportunity for Canada’s new leader to highlight this transatlantic partnership at a time when Canada is under mounting pressure from President Trump, who continues to emphasize his interest in absorbing Canada as the “51st state”. Canadians vow this shocking threat will never succeed.
Some Canadian politicians have asked why Britain’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has not publicly and explicitly spoken out in Canada’s defence. The UK’s Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called on Starmer to show more public support. During his brief visit to London, Carney also visited King Charles, Canada’s head of state, who recently expressed his “deepest affection” for Canada. It’s also been noted that he recently planted a maple tree.
But Carney’s top priorities also include building a relationship with the US president. Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly says she has already spoken to her US counterpart about organizing a telephone call “in the next couple of days”. As is traditional in Canada, Mark Carney was sworn in, in both official languages – English and French.
He recited an oath swearing allegiance to King Charles III, King of Canada, as well as his heirs and successors. Carney also vowed to be a “faithful and true servant to his majesty”.
King Charles’ warmth is towards Canada. Royal diplomacy is soft, careful, guarded and sometimes one has to read between the lines. As a constitutional monarch, King Charles III is positioned as being apolitical. He does not get directly involved publicly in political wrangling. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get a very clear sense of what he’s thinking. The King is Canada’s head of state, and in recent weeks he has shown it.
At a time when relations between Canada and the US are fraught; the King had met outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and issued a Flag Day message describing Canada as “a proud, resilient and compassionate country”.
Earlier this week, the King was also given a ceremonial sword to honour his reign from the Canadian Usher of the Black Rod, Greg Peters, and the Speaker of the Canadian Senate, Raymond Gagne.
Afterwards, royal sources said there had been a 30-minute discussion on topics of great concern to all parties both nationally and internationally. The optics towards Canada ooze warmth, support and friendship. This is the message Buckingham Palace wants the world to see.
The new Canadian Prime Minister told the King that his Order of Canada pin had broken this morning. “There’s much to catch up on,” said the King, ushering Carney to a seat, and perhaps hoping that the broken pin was not a symbol of a Commonwealth relationship under strain. “These are important matters,” said the King, ahead of a 30-minute conversation with no one else in attendance. Carney later went on to meet UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer at Downing Street. Sir Keir hailed the relationship between the two countries and said they had “so much in common – shared history, shared values, shared King.”
Carney said he was “grateful for the welcomes and the constructive discussions” with Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron – whom he had met earlier in the day.
At a news conference, he was asked if he felt let down by the lack of public support for Canada from other allies, given Trump’s trade war with Canada, and his remarks about making Canada the 51st state of the US.
“We don’t need another country to validate our sovereignty, we are sovereign, we don’t need praise from another country, we are proud in and of ourselves,” he said, adding that Sir Keir had made a point of referring to Canada’s sovereignty and to “our shared sovereign in King Charles III.”
The meeting with Carney is the latest scene in an intricate diplomatic balancing act for a King who is head of state of both the UK and Canada.
King Charles has to show solidarity with Canada without disrupting the UK’s relationship with Trump. The King also has to avoid getting directly involved in politics – and has to speak on advice of ministers. Whatever he might personally believe about Trump’s comments about taking over Canada, the King has to keep his thoughts to himself.
Adding to this complicated choreography is that the royals are one of the strongest cards the UK can play with President Trump. He seemed delighted by his second state visit invitation from the King. So, messages from the King are sent in symbolic displays. In case anyone missed the signs over Canada, there have been multiple moments. And then some more.
When the King visited aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, he appeared wearing a set of Canadian medals. The King was seen in black military uniform and holding a cap standing with three other men also in military uniform.
The 60th anniversary of Canada’s maple leaf flag might usually have passed without any royal intervention, but there was a fulsome message sent by the King, praising the “proud, resilient and compassionate country”. A ceremonial sword for Canada became an event at Buckingham Palace with a formal presentation by the King.
At a tree planting ceremony in Buckingham Palace, the tree chosen was a maple. And when the King sat down at the Commonwealth Service last week, it was on a Canadian chair. If any of these moments were accidental, they were not being rejected by Buckingham Palace, with royal sources emphasizing the King’s commitment to Canada.
Last week, King Charles planted an Acer Rubrum tree – also known as the red maple – in the grounds of Buckingham Palace. But there is no avoiding the tensions and contradictions in this balancing act. The King is head of state of both the UK and Canada.
Mark Carney was the first non-British person to become governor of the Bank of England in its more than 300-year history when he took the job in 2013. He had previously steered his home country through the Great Recession as the governor of the Bank of Canada, the country’s central bank, before being poached for Britain’s top banking job. But unlike most PM-hopefuls, Carney has never held political office. Still, he won the contest to replace Justin Trudeau handily. Now, he must lead the country through one of its toughest challenges yet – an escalating trade war with its biggest trading partner, the United States.
But holding on to the role of PM will be a fight in and of itself. Canada’s next federal election is scheduled for this October, but many expect Carney to call it soon after he is sworn in.
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