Canada is at 'critical moment,' King Charles tells parliament amid Trump annexation threats
"Many Canadians are feeling anxious and worried about the drastically changing world around them. Fundamental change is always unsettling," he said in the speech, switching between English and French.
The country was facing another "critical moment," he said.
"Democracy, pluralism, the rule of law, self determination and freedom are values that Canadians hold dear and one which the government is determined to protect," Charles added. "The system of open global trade, that while not perfect, has helped to deliver prosperity for Canadians for decades is changing. Canada's relationships with partners is also changing."
Charles said Carney and Trump "have begun defining a new economic and security relationship,' adding that this was "rooted in mutual respect and founded on common interests to deliver transformational benefits for both sovereign nations."
The monarch, still undergoing cancer treatment, is the nonpartisan head of state in Canada — a member of the British Commonwealth of former colonies — but he did not write the speech. Instead, he read what was presented to him by Canada's government to lawmakers in the country's capital, Ottawa.
Among them was former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who wore green and orange sneakers with his suit.
"Every time I come to Canada, a little more of Canada seeps into my bloodstream and from there straight to my heart," Charles said. "I've always had the greatest admiration for Canada's unique identity which is recognized across the world for bravery and sacrifice in defense of national values and for the diversity and kindness of Canadians."
Concluding his speech, Charles praised Canada as a "force for good" in the world.
"As the anthem reminds us: The true north is indeed strong and free," he said, earning a round of applause from lawmakers.
Before the speech, Charles was taken to the Senate of Canada Building in a horse-drawn carriage with Queen Camilla. There, he received the Royal Salute from the 100-person guard of honor from the 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment before entering the chamber.
Charles on Monday also met with Carney and Mary Simon, Canada's first-ever Indigenous governor general, who serves as the king's representative to the country.
Canadians are largely indifferent to the royal family, and it is rare for the monarch to deliver what is known as the Speech from the Throne. The last time was in 1977, when Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, read it for only the second time in her 70-year reign.
But Carney, who won a party race to become prime minister in March before he secured victory in Canada's election last month by vowing to stand up Trump, said in a statement Monday that Charles' visit spoke 'to the vitality of our constitutional monarchy and our distinct identity, and to the historic ties that crises only fortify.'
It was a change in tone from earlier this month, when he criticized Britain's invitation to Trump for a second state visit, saying it undermined his government's effort to project a united front against the U.S. president's talk of annexing Canada.
Since taking office in January, Trump has repeatedly said he wants Canada to become the 51st U.S. state, a suggestion that has angered Canadians and left the U.K. trying to tread a fine line between the two North American countries.
Charles has also made a number of symbolic gestures in recent months, wearing Canadian medals, planting a maple tree and referring to himself as the king of Canada.
Even so, earlier this month, Carney told British broadcaster Sky News, NBC News' international partner, that Canadians 'weren't impressed' by Trump's invite to the palace.
'It was at a time when we were being quite clear about the issues around sovereignty,' he said.
Charles will return to the U.K. later Tuesday, following the speech and a visit to Canada's National War Memorial.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
24 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Alleged leader of Mexican kidnapping ring released after nearly 20 years in prison
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The alleged leader of an infamous Mexican kidnapping ring walked out of a maximum security prison after nearly 20 years Friday, hours after a judge said there wasn't sufficient evidence to support the charges holding him. Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez on Friday rattled off a list of appeals, injunctions and complaints filed over the years of Israel Vallarta's imprisonment in a case that never arrived at a verdict. The Attorney General's Office did not immediately respond as to whether it would appeal. Vallarta was arrested in 2005, along with his girlfriend French citizen Florence Cassez. Cassez was eventually convicted and sentenced to 60 years on charges of aiding a kidnapping ring, in a case that soured relations between Paris and Mexico City. She acknowledged living with Vallarta at a ranch where kidnap victims were being held, but professed her innocence, saying she was unaware of their presence. One victim identified her as a kidnapper, but by voice only rather than by sight. A day after Cassez was arrested, police had forced her to take part in a staged raid on the ranch purportedly to rescue hostages and arrest suspects. It was covered by the media and broadcast on television. In January 2013 the Supreme Court overturned Cassez's conviction due to procedural and rights violations. She was released and became a cause celebre in France.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Enbridge says federal support for oil and gas not yet clear
The head of Enbridge Inc. says he's encouraged by conversations in both Canada and the U.S. on building more energy infrastructure, but that it remains to be seen what concrete action will result at home. 'I'm optimistic about our ongoing conversations and the alignment we're seeing today on both sides of the border to advance projects and legislation,' said Greg Ebel, chief executive of Calgary-based Enbridge on a Friday call to discuss second-quarter results But while both governments are talking, project plans and customer demand is being drawn more to the U.S., he said. 'Our customers at this point in time really want to go south,' said Ebel. 'That's the premium market.' The company reported earnings of $2.18 billion for the quarter ending June 30, up from $1.85 billion in the same quarter last year, as Ebel touted its stable returns and wide array of potential projects to take on. As Enbridge completes capacity expansions to the U.S. Gulf Coast, it could look to projects to serve the Canadian West Coast, but it's still not clear how much government support there is for such projects. 'The issue is one of government policy setting the conditions for that to get investment to occur. Let's be honest, the government has not done that yet, and it's not clear they intend to, at least from our perspective.' He pointed to both the oilsands emissions cap and the West Coast tanker ban as barriers to building a new oil pipeline. A natural gas pipeline would have been slightly easier, but the issue is also that any Canadian project will have to compete on returns with projects in the U.S., he said. 'Only those projects and those jurisdictions that provide better returns, i.e., lower build multiples, are going to get serviced, right? So I would tell you right now, that's a challenge to do more in a place like British Columbia or even Ontario relative to Ohio or, say, Texas.' The U.S. both has more export capacity to global markets, while the Trump administration is also working to strip environmental reviews and open up protected land to boost oil and gas production. The U.S. government is also actively cutting funding and permits for renewable projects, but Ebel said the actions aren't expected to affect Enbridge's already sanctioned projects. 'The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is not expected to impact any of our sanctioned projects, but we'll continue to monitor future developments in this fast moving policy environment.' Enbridge said its adjusted earnings worked out to $1.42 billion for the quarter, up from $1.25 billion last year. Adjusted earnings was 65 cents per common share, compared to 58 cents per share last year. The mean analyst estimate had been for earnings of 57 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics. Ebel said steady demand and low-risk commercial frameworks have led to predictable results despite geopolitical and macroeconomic volatility. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025. Companies in this story: (TSX:ENB)
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Canada trade team could quit DC talks after Trump tariffs, says Carney adviser
By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) -The Canadian team working on a trade deal with the United States could walk away from talks in the wake of a U.S. decision to impose a 35% tariff on some goods from Canada, an adviser to Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Friday. Flavio Volpe, a member of Carney's hand-picked Council on Canada-U.S. Relations, told CBC News that the negotiators would stay in Washington for the time being. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order increasing tariffs on Canadian goods to 35% from 25% on all products not covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. The White House cited what it said was Canada's failure to stop fentanyl smuggling and a failure to address U.S. concerns about trade barriers. "Team Canada is still in Washington working on a deal and they're going to be there until we either have a conclusion of a good deal for Canada or that it's time to take a pause and walk away," said Volpe, president of Canada's national Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association. Carney wants a new deal to reset bilateral relations, saying Trump's move to impose tariffs had irrevocably upended the decades-old trading and security ties between the two neighbors. The talks though have so far produced little. Washington is also unhappy about Canada's refusal to drop its own countermeasures, which were first imposed by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He resigned in March to be replaced by Carney, who won an April election on the back of a promise to stand up to Trump. In June, Carney had threatened to ramp up counter tariffs in July unless there was progress on the deal. A statement he issued early on Friday did not mention retaliation at all. Brian Clow, a senior Trudeau aide who was in charge of U.S. relations inside the prime minister's office for several years, noted that Trump had announced a number of deals with nations that declined to impose counter tariffs. "Unfortunately, Canada stands on its own right now, along with China, because many other countries around the world refused to stand up to this President," he said by phone. "So I'm not sure that further retaliation is the way to go here." The offices of Carney and Dominic LeBlanc, the federal cabinet minister leading the Canadian team in Washington, were not immediately available for comment. Carney's talk about needing to stand up to Trump cannot hide the divisions between those in Canada advocating for a hard line and those who worry about the potential economic damage. Goldy Hyder, president of the Business Council of Canada lobby group, said Canada was clearly struggling at the talks and called for a new approach. "As someone said to me, Canada is playing chess, but there's nobody playing chess with it at the other end," he said. "We've got to make sure that we are thinking through: 'What have we been doing and what do we need to do?'," he told CBC News. "We've got to move with greater urgency, because our own economy is very fragile," he told CBC News. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
