Sarah Mills: Throne speech was a big moment for Canada - and King Charles
Sarah Mills says no monarch can ever surpass Queen Elizabeth II, but if there was moment to finally feel that King Charl...
OTTAWA — King Charles formally opened Parliament today by reading the speech from the throne — a rare event for Canada’s monarch.
Before reading the speech, the King took part in a short parade through downtown Ottawa alongside Queen Camilla in a horse-drawn carriage.
The King and Queen have since wrapped up their royal visit.
Here’s the latest. All times Eastern.
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1:17 p.m.
The royals have left Ottawa.
King Charles and Queen Camilla bid farewell to their escort of police officers and military on the runway at the Ottawa airport before boarding a Government of Canada aircraft bound for the U.K.
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12:30 p.m.
King Charles is heading to the Ottawa airport after a whirlwind visit.
After delivering the throne speech, the King shook the hands of spectators gathered outside the Senate building.
The royal couple next visited the National War Memorial, where a trumpeter played Last Post and a band played the Canadian and British national anthems.
The King laid a wreath and the Queen placed flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
They again shook hands with dignitaries before leaving in a motorcade.
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11:37 a.m.
King Charles has delivered the throne speech in the Senate building.
Reading the speech prepared by the government, King Charles said Canada faces a “critical moment” of shifts in global trade and diplomatic relationships, and concerns about the future of democracy, “self-determination” and pluralism.
“We must be clear-eyed — the world is a more dangerous and uncertain place than at any point since the Second World War,” he added in French.
“Canada is facing challenges that are unprecedented in our lifetimes.”
The audience applauded enthusiastically when the King said that “the True North is indeed strong and free.”
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11 a.m.
King Charles is moments away from delivering the throne speech in the Senate building.
The King greeted various dignitaries before speaking, including Supreme Court justices and senators. Former prime ministers are also present — including Justin Trudeau, who is sitting beside Stephen Harper.
Before delivering the speech, the King took in a performance by a Métis fiddler and watched the lighting of an Inuit lamp called a qulliq.
Meanwhile, MPs in the Commons received a message from “the King of Canada” and had the mace brought to the Senate. The mace is a highly ornamented staff that symbolizes the power of the sovereign.
The MPs then arrived at the threshold of the Senate chamber to observe.
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10:15 a.m.
After inspecting a 100-person honour guard and receiving a 21-gun salute, King Charles entered the Senate building as the crowd cheered.
The King wore a navy pinstripe suit with a customary medal array and an Order of Canada around his neck, while the Queen wore a dark blue dress with a brimmed hat.
The royals, along with Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, Prime Minister Mark Carney and various dignitaries, watched an Indigenous drumming circle inside the Senate building.
Outside along Wellington Street, construction workers in hard hats watched the parade from the windows of a government building and took photos of the crowds.
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10 a.m.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has entered the Senate building and the King’s motorcade has started its journey to the Senate building.
The royal couple began their procession in a landau, a horse-drawn carriage, escorted by mounted RCMP officers.
The King will receive full military honours at the Senate building, including a 21-gun salute.
On Parliament Hill, anti-government protesters continued to fly banners that criticize COVID-19 measures and express support for U.S. President Donald Trump. Some of the spectators gathered to watch the royals have booed at the protesters.
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9 a.m.
Members of Parliament are arriving at the Senate, where the King will read the throne speech in about two hours’ time.
They’re taking photos and greeting one another as they arrive.
A group of MPs will be at West Block this morning. There they’ll await the Usher of the Black Rod, who will knock on the doors of the House of Commons and invite them to the Senate to hear the speech.
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8:30 a.m.
Early-bird royal watchers are lining up behind the barricades on Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
The King and Queen are set to begin their procession around 10 a.m. in a landau, a horse-drawn carriage, escorted by mounted RCMP officers. The entourage will head to the Senate building, where the King will receive full military honours, including a 21-gun salute.
The landau was built in Quebec and donated to Canada for royal visits.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2025.
The Canadian Press
