King Charles and Queen Camilla head to Canada House to mark 100 years of the country's embassy in London

Daily Mail​

20-05-2025

The King and Queen continued with their busy week in the capital today - heading to the Canadian Embassy to help the country mark 100 years of having a residence in London.
Charles and Camilla, who were at Chelsea Flower Show on Monday, arrived at Canada House in bright sunshine on Wednesday to help Canadian officials in London celebrate the centenary of Canada House, which first opened in June 1925.
The couple's visit comes ahead of their tour of Ottawa next week, where the King and Queen will attend the State Opening of Parliament.
Queen Camilla, clearly inspired by her horticultural adventures at Chelsea, looked elegant in a white floral dress, while the King donned a pale grey suit for the occasion.
Their Majesties will spend time with the High Commissioner for Canada, Ralph Goodale, and the Deputy High Commissioner, Robert Fry during the visit to Canada House, which has become a showcase for Canadian art, culture and heritage in the capital.
There'll also be the chance to view a giant floor map created by The Royal Canadian Geographical Society with Parks Canada, which depicts Canadian National Parks, National Historic Sites and National Marine Conservation Areas.
The King is also set to receive the key to Canada House, echoing the set cast in Canadian bronze, silver and nickel offered to King George V upon the official opening in 1925.
Earlier this week, the King and David Beckham chatted like old friends as they met up again at the Royal Horticultural Society's world-famous Chelsea Flower Show on its pre-opening day.
It was the first time the former England football star had ever visited the show - but he was dressed to perfection in a beige blazer, grey trousers and suede loafers.
Notably he was wearing a particularly stylish accessory: a new 'King's Rose', named in honour of the monarch, in his buttonhole - which Camilla quickly noted, and called 'beautiful'.
They met outside the Highgrove gardens stand, which raises funds for the King's Foundation, the charity set up to build sustainable communities and preserve heritage arts and crafts, of which Beckham is now an ambassador.
It was also revealed that their friendship has taken an astonishing new turn, after it emerged tonight that the monarch sent the star a 50th birthday gift.
Standing outside the Highgrove stand run by the monarch's charity, the King's Foundation, Beckham greeted the sovereign warmly and said: 'Your Majesty, it's so nice to see you'.
Astonishingly, Charles then appeared to ask whether the star had received the birthday present that he and his wife had sent.
'You got it, didn't you?' he asked.
'It was incredible,' beamed Beckham delightedly, 'thank you, it was very kind.'
Camilla, wearing a green leaf print dress from Fiona Clare London, added: 'Nice to see you again, glad you got the roses.'
Beckham told the Queen of his recent celebrations that he had enjoyed a 'perfect' and a 'busy' weekend, 'which was 'a lot of fun'.
Footballer Beckham has been spotted at a rapidly increasing slew of royal events in recent months - including a private visit to Highgrove last May - and is said to have fallen out with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The latest royal meeting comes just days after reports that the Sussexes had David's eldest son Brooklyn and wife Nicola Peltz over for dinner in their Montecito mansion.
Sources claimed previously that the Sussexes were said to be 'secretly supporting' the couple because of their 'similar family feuds' - after they were a noticeable no-show at the footballer's 50th birthday celebrations earlier this month.
Last May, His Majesty met privately with Beckham at Highgrove, his private Gloucester home, and subsequently invited him to a high-profile dinner, along with his wife, Victoria, at the mansion a few months later.
The couple were also surprise guests at Buckingham Palace for a state banquet to mark the visit of the Emir of Qatar, setting the seal on their extraordinary rise in the royal court.
Last week, the Princess of Wales also wore a suit designed by Victoria Beckham for a British Fashion Council event.
Although the pair have met on several occasions over the years, and Beckham is particularly friendly with Prince William - having fallen out with Prince Harry in recent years - Charles was particularly touched in 2023 when the star brought a jar of homemade honey from his Cotswolds estate and gave it to him at a fashion even in 2023.
This evening, Beckham also visited the London Square Chelsea Pensioners Garden, where the work of King's Foundation furniture making alumni Lily Hitchcock and Hannah Evans was featured as the table centrepiece.
The royal couple stood with David and gardening legend Alan Titchmarsh – another ambassador for the King's Foundation – as the stand's shopfront was ceremonially unveiled with the opening of a theatre-style pair of Sanderson-designed curtains, reflecting a partnership between the interior design house and the charity.
The shop, adorned with floral displays created by Shane Connolly, the designer behind the flowers at the Coronation, is stocked with items for sale to raise funds for the charity, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, and the King and Queen spent a few minutes inside browsing with the charity's retail director Scott Simpson.
Camilla was particularly taken by a Burberry trench coat lined with fabric designed by Helen Bullock, a graduate of the Royal Drawing School, while the King was drawn to a set of fine china mugs with a retro 'God Save the King' design.
The King and Queen had been greeted at the showground's entrance by Keith Weed, President of the Royal Horticultural Society.
They were accompanied by the Queen's daughter Laura Lopes, her sister Annabel Elliot and the Queen's Companion the Marchioness of Lansdowne.
Also in the entourage were the Marquess and Marchioness of Cholmondeley, David and Rose Hanbury.
The Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Snowdon, Princess Beatrice and Princess Michael of Kent were also among showgoers at the preview evening for the week-long show.
The King and Queen began their visit at the RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden, designed by Monty Don with dogs in mind.
Featuring grass areas for pets to enjoy and a large tree providing shade, the brick paths are inscribed with the names of beloved pets, including Monty's dog Ned.
The Queen patted Monty's dog Ned and the royal couple were shown bricks in the path engraved with the names of their own dogs – the King's Lagnotto Romagnolo, Snuff, and the Queen's adopted Jack Russell terrier Bluebell and her new puppy Moley, along with Beth, another much-loved rescue dog who died last year.
'We have a scruffy lawn,' said the TV gardener, gesturing to the grass which was strewn with dog toys.
Following this week's show, the dog garden will be moved to Battersea Dog & Cats Home, of which Camilla is patron.
The King and Queen then parted ways to visit different gardens, with the monarch admiring the ferns at the British Rainforest Garden, designed by Zoe Claymore for the Wildlife Trust, of which he is patron.
Designed to evoke the wet woodlands that once covered Britain's west coast, it is inspired by the Trust's mission to bring rainforests back to the British Isles.
Meanwhile the Queen visited the London Square Chelsea Pensioners Garden, designed by Dave Green, which will be located at the Royal Hospital Chelsea to provide an accessible and secluded space for different generations to socialise or reflect.
It aims to reflect the 300-year-old heritage of 'a home for soldiers broken by age and war' and encourage visitors to stay active in older age.
Along the main concourse, the King stopped to chat to garden designers, including Tom Massey and Je Ahn, whose Avanade Intelligent Garden uses AI to monitor the growth and resilience of urban trees.
He then stopped at The King's Trust Garden: Seeding Success, supported by Project Giving Back.
Designed by Joe Perkins, which is inspired by the more than one million young people supported by the Trust since it was founded nearly half a century ago.
Showcasing seeds which flourish in a hostile environment, it draws parallels with the resilience of young people who have overcome adversity with the right support.
The garden will later be transferred to Uxbridge College to be maintained by young people enrolled on King's Trust programmes.
Inside the marquee, the King was given two packets of wildflower seeds by Jack and Charlotte Denne of Kent Wildflower Seeds.
'There are so many of them,' he exclaimed as he admired the wildflowers blooming on their stand.
'I designed a seed mix to support soil health,' Charlotte told the monarch.
He asked whether she had been to a recent soil exhibition at Somerset House, adding, 'It was utterly brilliant.'
The King also visited the British Red Cross Here for Humanity Garden, which features Alpine plants, in a nod to the charity's Swiss origins, layered in hexagonal planters.
Earlier the monarch stopped to inspect the King's Rose at David Austin's stand inside the Great Marquee.
'Does it smell?' he asked as he leaned in to find out. 'It does smell, it's a lovely musky fragrance,' replied owner David.
'It takes so long,' said the King of the rose-breeding process. 'What did you do to get it to grow?'
He seemed astonished to hear the new rose was grown from one of 60,000 seedlings originally planted 12 years ago and developed by a team of 20 people.
'Of those 60,000 seedlings, only one made it,' added David.
'I must say, this is amazing,' the King told him, gesturing to the stand. All sales from the distinctive fuchsia pink and white stripped rose, with its delicate papery petals, will be going to support the King's Foundation.
Walking the route through the show Charles, 76, used a country-style walking stick, which sources said were one of a 'huge' collection he often uses.
Established in 1913, on the grounds of Royal Hospital Chelsea in London, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show has become one of the world's greatest showcases for horticultural excellence, attracting victors and exhibitors from across the globe.
Since its beginning, the show has gone from strength to strength. It has grown from 244 exhibitors in 1913 to over 400 horticultural exhibits. Today the show attracts 145,000 visitors each year.
The King's Foundation is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, marking over three decades of work to build sustainable communities and transform lives, particularly through building and maintaining green spaces and encouraging learning inspired by nature amongst young people.
'I'll have to swap it with the one that I do,' the delighted monarch and fellow beekeeper said.
The pair's surprise Chelsea encounter will undoubtedly give rise to speculation that Beckham will finally be given his much-longed for knighthood imminently.
And it will also, inevitably, spark comparisons between himself and the King given that both fathers are experiencing heart-breaking estrangements from their sons - Prince Harry in the case of the King, and eldest child Brooklyn for Beckham.
The King, who is patron of the RHS, and his wife were accompanied to the show tonight by the Duke of Edinburgh and The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
The royal party was met by the president of the Royal Horticultural Society - the aptly named Keith Weed - before touring the gardens and viewing the displays at this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which runs from 20th to 24th May.
It comes after Meghan and Nicola were said to have had a 'deep and meaningful' chat and share a bond after being accused by critics of being 'homewreckers' and women who 'tear apart their husbands' families'.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who enjoyed a date night at a James Taylor concert in Santa Barbara last night after going to a Beyonce gig on the weekend, had the couple over for dinner at their mansion in Montecito, California in recent weeks.
Brooklyn, 26, and Nicola, 30, who live 90 minutes away in LA, have received 'unwavering support' from Harry and Meghan who reportedly feel 'empathetic' towards them amid the younger couple's tensions with David and Victoria Beckham.
'Brooklyn and Nicola had a wonderful time and found Harry and Meghan to be particularly kind, caring and generous', one source said at the time.
The Duchess of Sussex 'has a lot of sympathy for her' because both women have been branded 'homewreckers', another source familiar with the dinner claimed.
'There was shared common ground', the insider claimed.
'Nicola and Meghan also had a bit of a 'deep n' meaningful' as obviously both women have been positioned in the media as homewreckers - the women to tear apart their husbands' families.
'Harry and Meghan were very empathetic and very kind to them both. Harry was fully aware of the situation and offered Brooklyn his unwavering support as someone who has been through similar'.
The Sussexes apparently swapped mobile numbers with the couple amid the fallout with Brooklyn's family being dubbed Beckxit after Harry and Meghan's own messy feud with the prince's British family.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had Brooklyn and Nicola over for dinner in recent weeks. Pictured at a Beyonce concert in recent weeks
The Montecito dinner could infuriate David and Victoria Beckham who are said to have fallen out with the Sussexes in a row over allegations of leaking stories to the press.
The Mail's Katie Hind revealed that Brooklyn has ditched his old pals in the UK and has followed Nicola's lead when it comes to mixing in new LA circles.
David and Victoria, 51, are currently said to be 'heartbroken' over the family feud after Brooklyn and Nicola were a noticeable no-show at the footballer's 50th birthday celebrations earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Harry launched a series of scathing attacks on the Royal Family earlier this month, saying he has been cut off from King Charles who 'won't speak to him'.
And according to The Sun, Harry, Meghan, Brooklyn and Nicola found 'common ground' as they continue to be at the forefront of their family riffs.
A source told the publication: 'They didn't meet in relation to recent developments and headlines, but it was an honest but very welcome coincidence'.
People, the Sussexes' preferred publication in the US, has suggested that Brooklyn and Nicola were not directly invited by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex - although the royal couple enjoyed their company.
The dinner was for a large group of VIPs and TV and media executives.
'Brooklyn and Nicola were invited prior to David's numerous global birthday galas, so the timing is pure coincidence,' People's source said.
'While it was an intimate gathering, there were several additional guests, including VIPs and film executives. Brooklyn and Nicola had a wonderful time and found Harry and Meghan to be particularly kind, caring and generous'.
MailOnline previously contacted Brooklyn, Nicola and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex' representatives for comment.
The Chelsea Flower Show opening day is always one of the most star-studded events of the year - with a sprinkling of royalty for good measure.
The first day of this year's event, run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) did not disappoint as royals flocked to the Chelsea Hospital, west London, to get the first glimpse of this year's gardens.
Earlier today, the Princess of Wales 's brother James Middleton and Lady Amelia Windsor led the way for the glamorous guests who attended the VIP and press day.
James beamed as he arrive to the gardens with his two Golden Retriever's seven-year-old Mabel and two-year-old Isla.
The father-of-one, 38, looked smart in a cream blazer and navy chinos which he paired with a khaki shirt and brown shoes.
Meanwhile Lady Amelia Windsor looked glamorous in a black flowing skirt and matching crop top.
The granddaughter of the Duke of Kent completed her look with brown shoes and she accessorised with Boodles Raindance jewellery.
The first garden for the King's Trust, designed by Joe Perkins, has a focus on adapting to climate change and the ability of 'pioneering' plants to thrive in extreme rainfall and drought.
Wildlife Trusts' rainforest garden showcases the threatened Atlantic temperate rainforest habitat which once swathed western coasts of Britain.
This year garden designers have had to contend with plants not coming into flower in time for the show as a result of the dry and sunny weather as England has had the driest start to spring for decades.
Therefore, displays have had to be adapted to cope with the extreme dry conditions.
Also in attendance this morning is former BBC broadcaster Kate Silverton, 54, looked elegant in a long cream skirt and oversized blue and white striped bell sleeve blouse.
She completed her chic look with a cream fedora hat, wedge sandals and a glamorous silver necklace.
Gavin and Stacey actress Alison Steadman stepped out in white trousers and a matching blouse which she paired with a pink blazer.
Actor Paul Whitehouse also arrived at the annual event in great spirits as he posed for a slew of snaps.
BBC Gardeners' World presenter, Monty Don, who teamed up with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) for his first garden at Chelsea filled with features for dogs including a lawn, water to wallow in and trees to cast shade, was also spotted.
The horticulturist looked dapper in a navy suit as he arrived with his Golden Retriever Ned.
Yesterday, Monty defended the inclusion of plants that can be toxic to dogs in the garden, such as alliums and foxgloves, saying they were blooms he had alongside his pets without problems in his own garden.
The RHS and Radio 2 dog garden, which will not be judged, will be relocated to nearby Battersea Dogs & Cats Home after the world-famous event.
Don, 69, said they would remove any plants the charity did not want to have as part of the planting.
The horticulturalist, who has presented on Chelsea since 1990 and has covered the show for the BBC without a break for more than a decade, also said creating the garden had been a 'humbling' process that made him 'hugely' respect designers and makers of gardens at RHS Chelsea.
Myleene Klass oozed glamour in a floral dress which she paired with cream wedges
Former BBC broadcaster Kate Silverton, 54, looked elegant in a long cream skirt and oversized blue and white striped bell sleeve blouse
Monty Don, who teamed up with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) for his first garden at Chelsea filled with features for dogs including a lawn, water to wallow in and trees to cast shade, was also spotted at the event
Actos Paul Whitehouse also arrived at the annual event in great spirits as he posed for a slew of snaps
Gavin and Stacey actress Alison Steadman stepped out in white trousers and a matching blouse which she paired with a pink blazer
Speaking onsite where his garden is being kept under wraps as it is constructed, he said: 'It doesn't matter what kind of garden or how good or bad it is, it's an almost unimaginable amount of work because of the detail you have to attend to.'
He said he was looking forward to getting back to presenting coverage for next week's show after his stint as a designer, which he described as 'moonlighting'.
'I now have real insight into the whole process. I didn't know I needed that and I do, it's humbling.'
Don, who was originally approached by the RHS to design a dog-friendly garden, said he did not want the project, created with horticulturalist Jamie Butterworth, to have any message except for being about dogs.
'I wanted to see a garden at Chelsea that didn't have a message, that didn't set itself in an exotic situation, was absolutely set fair and square in 2025 in England and that was full of plants that either I did have or everybody could buy from their local garden centre, and with trees or shrubs that were native or long adapted to this country.'
The lawn is central to the plot, surrounded by planting which can create shifting paths for dogs to take around the garden, and a large open-fronted 'dog house' with an old sofa for the animals to retreat to.
The garden also features long meadow grass for dogs to lie in, while Radio 2 presenter Jo Wiley suggested an area of water for dogs to wallow in, based on experience with her pets, Don said.
There is a playfulness to the garden, with use of dogwood, round-headed alliums evoking balls dogs love to play with, and terracotta pots have been created with pawprints of Don's dog Ned who can regularly be seen following him around his garden on Gardeners' World.
But while the lawn has been created to look like it has been used by dogs and people, the team have stopped short of having holes dug in it or 'pee rings'.
And Don said: 'There are plants in the garden that are technically poisonous to dogs.
'However, there are no plants that I don't have in my own garden and I've always had dogs.
Monty Don and Jo Whiley in the RHS and BBC Radio two Dog Garden
The RHS and Radio 2 dog garden, which will not be judged, will be relocated to nearby Battersea Dogs & Cats Home after the world-famous event
Sophie Wrayworth and Monty Don with their dogs in the RHS and BBC Radio 2 Dog Garden
'My view on this is actually the main plant I worry about is yew and we don't have that in the garden.
'In my experience dogs are sensible and owners are sensible.'
Don added: 'We have a brief to make a beautiful garden for Chelsea. The only dogs that are going to be allowed on here are mine or others specifically invited and on a lead and under control.
'When it goes to Battersea it will not have any plants Battersea doesn't want to be there, we will remove any that they feel has any toxicity to their dogs,' he said.
'We're not saying these are plants that are perfectly safe, what are you making a fuss about? What I am saying is in my experience I've not had any problems with these plants, and I've had dogs for the last 65 years.'
Many everyday activities from cutting with knives in the kitchen to driving a car or crossing the road were more dangerous than these plants were to dogs, he said.
And he added: 'Just be sensible, don't get hysterical, but at the same time don't dismiss it.'
He also said dog owners who are keen gardeners should not expect a perfect lawn because 'that's not compatible with dogs', and encouraged those who did not want their animals to be crashing through the flower beds to create low fences or hedging on borders or corners to stop them.
An RHS spokesperson said the dog garden was 'primarily designed to bring joy and delight'.
'However, as RHS Chelsea is also a great place to inspire and educate, with some people perhaps not realising that a number of common garden plants could be harmful to dogs if eaten, the RHS and Monty are encouraging people to be aware, but also to be sensible, about dogs in their gardens at home.
'The garden raises awareness to keep an eye on pets amongst plants. Don't let them eat or dig up plants in borders and, as with anything, if you see them eating something in the garden and you see changes in behaviours or are worried or have doubts, call the vets.'
They added: 'The garden will live on at Battersea, where experts from the charity will carefully select dog-friendly, non-toxic plants to live on where rescue dogs can enjoy them for years to come.'