Latest news with #Zita
Mercury
2 days ago
- Sport
- Mercury
AFL great fumes at ‘inexcusable' failure as image exposes club
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Demons icon Garry Lyon says it's a 'failure of the system' that Adam Cerra wasn't immediately removed from the field for assessment after he received a hit to the head. The Carlton midfielder was collected by Essendon ball-getter Sam Durham in the second quarter at the MCG in what was dubbed 'a dangerous act'. Fourteen minutes elapsed between the initial incident and the Blues medical staff's call to bring him downstairs for a head injury assessment (HIA). FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. 'The Cerra thing is ridiculous,' Lyon said on Fox Footy in the second term. 'That is a failure of the system — get that kid off the ground straight away and test him. Whether he says he's right or not, he's the last bloke in this stadium who's placed to say whether he's right or not. You can watch the incident in the video player above. Adam Cerra was grounded by a hit from Sam Durham in the second quarter. 'Take it out of his hands. You've allowed him to run around for 10 minutes with the prospect or spectre of a possible concussion hanging over him.' Dual AFLW All-Australian Ruby Schleicher said: '(It) makes you wonder whether the AFL's overarching doctor has pulled rank and said 'he's coming off'. And if so, why did it take 10 minutes to happen?' At half-time, AFL Tonight reporter David Zita explained the situation in full after consulting with Blues officials. 'The club have said that he was completely cleared of concussion, he was immediately assessed out on the ground and was OK to remain out there in the eyes of the club doctor,' Zita told Fox Footy. 'The vision was reviewed, the club then made the decision to have the HIA completed as an absolute precaution, then came from the ground 14 minutes after the original incident. 'So, the club doctors do have the power to stop play when they need to, if they think there's been a potential concussive incident, so that power was not exorcised in this case. 'But they did say that they assessed him and that they made the decision that he was OK.' In response, Lyon said: 'The question will be why didn't they make it straight away? If they made it anyway, why didn't they make it straight away?' Zita said: 'That's what will be discussed over the next 24-48 hours, I'm sure. They reviewed the vision, then ultimately decided to take him off as a precaution, in their eyes. 'The ARC does have the power to issue a mandatory HIA (if) they think the club should be out there doing it, so that is within the rights of the AFL.' Zita later added via X: 'From Carlton: Cerra completely cleared of concussion. Was immediately assessed out on ground and was okay to remain out there, vision also reviewed on ground, Club made the decision to have HIA completed as an absolute precaution, he passed that also.' With regards to the incident itself, Zita said Durham was 'in strife' regardless of Cerra avoiding a concussion, due to the fact the Bomber 'elected to bump and made contact with the head'. Lyon said on Fox Footy in immediate reaction to the incident: 'If that's collected the head, he's made a decision to bump, Sam Durham. 'When you make that decision (to bump), you are vulnerable. If he's hit him in the head, which it appears he has, I'm not sure you can defend that. '(If) he had his hands down trying to pick the footy up, you try and make a case.' Brisbane legend Jonathan Brown said: 'We know he's a tough, hard player, Sam Durham, but he made the wrong decision there.' Upon further review of the incident, Lyon added: 'You're going to be in trouble. That's a dangerous act from Sam Durham. As much as I love that man ... that's a dangerous act.' Originally published as AFL great fumes at 'inexcusable' failure as image exposes club
RNZ News
7 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Indian parents fight to clear name after child abuse conviction saw baby seized
An Indian couple are fighting to clear their names after the mother was jailed for child abuse. Photo: Supplied An Indian family has spent six years battling government agencies to prove their innocence after Oranga Tamariki seized their 10-week-old baby in 2018 and sent the mother to prison for child abuse. Their story has since been reported on Newsroom's Fractured podcast by investigative journalist Melanie Reid. Zita and Ravi, who spoke on condition of anonymity, have spent the past six years navigating New Zealand's child protection and immigration systems in a bid to overturn an allegation that turned their lives upside-down. Their ordeal started when their 8-week-old baby was taken to Starship Hospital in 2018, referred by their GP for suspected meningitis. A CT scan revealed a non-depressed linear skull fracture and subdural haemorrhages - bleeding between the skull and the brain. A full-body X-ray showed fractures in 18 ribs, as well as in the baby's left femur and tibia - 39 fractures in total. Blood tests revealed extremely low levels of calcium and vitamin D. Within 24 hours, hospital specialists concluded the injuries were non-accidental. Baby K, as she is referred to, was hospitalised for 12 days before being placed in foster care. In 2021, Zita was convicted of intentionally injuring her newborn daughter and sentenced to two years and seven months in prison. Starship Hospital Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly During the three-week trial, four Starship doctors testified that the injuries were consistent with abusive head trauma. No medical experts appeared in Zita's defence, and she has consistently denied harming her child. Meanwhile, Baby K was moved between four different foster homes. Ravi, who has no criminal convictions, was repeatedly denied custody by Oranga Tamariki until April this year. When Zita was released after serving most of her sentence, the state maintained custody of Baby K and began deportation proceedings against her. Ravi, whose visa depended on his wife's, also faced deportation. He is currently in the process of applying for an extension to his visa. Zita came to New Zealand hopeful of a bright future but is now thinking of leaving after years of hardship and separation from her daughter. "I came to New Zealand with so many dreams, but now I'm thinking of leaving," she said. Zita said her dream of building a life in New Zealand had been shattered. After spending two years in prison over what she and her husband claim was a miscarriage of justice, she is struggling to rebuild her life. "Finally, I got a work visa in March, but the problem is I can't find a job because of my prison sentence," she said. "I just want my convictions overturned so I can live a normal life with my husband and daughter." The couple now live apart due to financial hardship related to housing. Zita lives with her brother, while her husband Ravi and their young daughter share accommodation with relatives. "I've lost so much since it all began," Zita said. "I lost my daughter, my family, my father and the chance to live in New Zealand without fear." Awaiting trial in 2019, Zita was informed that her father had died in India, but she was unable to attend the funeral because her passport was being held by the court. Zita recalled her early days in prison with anguish. "I didn't eat for weeks," she said. "I cried all the time." Ravi, who came to New Zealand on a partner visa, was also facing immigration challenges. The couple initially tried to to seek support from the Indian community but were disappointed by the results. "We thought that because we were Indians, our people would stand by us," Ravi said. "Unfortunately, that didn't happen." One exception was the Supreme Sikh Society, which provided a letter of support in 2023. The two years that Zita spent behind bars were some of the hardest of Ravi's life. "After the doctors were convinced we harmed our baby, the system took over and pointed fingers at us," he said. "They created a narrative that there were problems between me and my wife, that we had injured the baby. "But no one really told us how she got all those fractures - until the media brought in experts who finally explained it." He believed they had been treated as outsiders by every government agency they encountered. Meanwhile, their daughter had spent much of her life in foster care. "She doesn't know anything about Indian culture," Zita said. "We're trying our best to teach her Indian values and traditions," Ravi said. The couple had repeatedly asked Oranga Tamariki to place their daughter with an Indian family or with their own relatives in New Zealand, but their requests were denied. Zita and Ravi said they made a heartbreaking decision to terminate a second pregnancy in 2019, fearing Oranga Tamariki would remove the baby at birth. Joris de Bres Photo: Supplied Former Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres has been working with the couple for several years. "We've been on a roller-coaster ride the whole time and it's only in the last month really that we've got to the point where there's some light at the end of the tunnel, but there were still challenges to overcome," de Bres said. "They've been hounded by the police. They had their house bugged and they've been through a court case and the mother jailed. There's something wrong here." De Bres believed that ethnicity played a role. "I can attribute it to a degree of institutional racism and a general racial attitude within the state. You know, I was with the Race Relations Commission for 10 years, so I'm familiar with this situation," he said. "If you're a new arrival from another country and your skin colour is different from that of the majority, you're already starting at a disadvantage - especially when dealing with the system and even some of the people within it." Journalists Melanie Reid and Bonnie Sumner are behind Newsroom's investigative podcast, Fractured. Photo: Supplied De Bres eventually contacted investigative journalists Melanie Reid and Bonnie Sumner. Reid said the case was especially difficult. "It's about someone accused of abusing a child, which makes it unpopular - and you're up against the medical fraternity," she said. Over 18 months, Reid and her team obtained Baby K's medical records, including high-resolution 3D CT scans and X-rays. They consulted four leading international specialists in genetics, neurosurgery, obstetrics and neuropathology from Canada, Norway, the Netherlands and the United States. Each submitted a formal report. Their collective conclusion: Baby K's injuries were likely related to complications during labour and severely low levels of vitamin D. "One of the main takeaways from the podcast after two seasons is that you just have to keep going until you get that result," Reid said, "because there are so many points along the way where it gets too hard, and people just give up." Sumner agreed. "We couldn't figure out why Ravi couldn't see his daughter and there were so many injustices we could identify even before we started our investigation," Sumner said. A year after Zita's release from prison, Oranga Tamariki began allowing Zita regular supervised access with her daughter. In February, Newsroom unveiled that Zita's deportation had been cancelled after Associate Minister Chris Penk intervened. In April, the Family Court in Auckland discharged any remaining orders relating to Baby K. Restrictions on Baby K's travel were lifted, she was no longer in state care and custody was returned to her parents. Zita and Ravi believed Oranga Tamariki had come to realise the parents might not have been at fault, a shift they attributed to media pressure and new evidence uncovered by Newsroom journalists. "In the beginning, they told us we wouldn't get our daughter back until she was 18," Zita said. "They haven't admitted they got it wrong, but they've now granted us custody. So why did they make that decision?" "Things slowly began to change after the podcast was released," Ravi said. "Oranga Tamariki started listening to us and tried to understand our culture, which was completely different from how they were in the beginning." In May, the Fractured podcast announced that the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) had accepted Zita's submission for review, paving the way for a potential referral to an appeal court. Reid said the young couple faced ongoing challenges in New Zealand. "We got the medical experts, we got a lawyer on board and we made the application to the CCRC - but every step of the way was really tough," Reid said. "It was tough for us, let alone what it was like for them. I think the podcast really shows what it's truly like when you're up against it and there's absolutely no hope at all." In February, RNZ put the allegations to Starship Hospital. Mike Shepherd, Te Whatu Ora's group director of operations for Auckland City Hospital, said the hospital could not comment on the specifics of the case "for a range of reasons." "As always, we encourage patients and whānau to reach out to us directly if they have concerns about their or their loved one's care," he said. "Alternatively, people are welcome to contact the Health and Disability Commission for an independent review. "We are confident of the expertise of our Starship Child Protection team and the work they do in conjunction with New Zealand Police and other relevant agencies." For Zita and Ravi, a long road lay ahead, but the couple remained hopeful. "I've lost so many years, and with the CCRC process, it will take even more time to get back to normality," Zita said. "I'm not planning much because the last time I did, things didn't end well. My only dream is to live with my husband and daughter as a family."
Newsroom
16-05-2025
- Newsroom
Fractured season finale: Good news at last
It began with a single email. In November 2023, Joris de Bres, a former New Zealand Human Rights and Race Relations Commissioner, wrote to Newsroom's investigations editor Melanie Reid with the subject line: 'Separated by the State'. De Bres described how he'd been helping an Auckland-based couple who had arrived in New Zealand from India to make a life for themselves in what they called 'the dream country'. What followed could only be described as a dystopian nightmare: a mother jailed, their baby put into foster care and both parents facing deportation without their daughter. The whole story is examined in detail in DELVE's latest podcast investigation, Fractured, which takes listeners deep inside the bureaucracy to show exactly what happens when a family is trapped by the full weight of government agencies working in lockstep. 'We set out to discover whether the baby at the centre of our Fractured investigation was put into a foster home and her mother sent to prison based on a flawed diagnosis. We ended up plowing head first into a scandal of international proportions,' says Reid. Throughout the making of the podcast, it seemed as though there was no light at the end of the tunnel, 'it was just more bad news on top of more bad news'. 'It's a pretty tough listen at times, but for those who have never experienced something like this it shows inch by inch what it's truly like to be in a situation you never ever imagined could happen to you.' The father at the centre of the case, Ravi (not his real name), told Reid in their first interview in 2023: 'I came here for a better future – a better future for my family, to grow myself here, find a better job and make a happy life here. Now we are living as if we are dead.' Eighteen months later, and the release of the final episode of Fractured Season 2 reveals some great news at last. 'Overwhelming' evidence Four years ago, the mother at the centre of the case, who we call Zita, was convicted of intentionally hurting her infant daughter. At her sentencing, the judge described the medical evidence as 'overwhelming'. During Zita's three-week trial, four doctors from Starship Hospital told the jury the injuries her baby had suffered were non-accidental and 'abusive head trauma', the rebranded term that replaced 'shaken baby syndrome'. No expert medical witnesses appeared for the mother's defence. She was found guilty and sent to prison for two years and seven months. Zita has always maintained she did not, and would not ever, hurt her daughter, who we call Baby K. The pediatrician from Starship Hospital's child abuse unit, which diagnosed the then-eight-week-old Baby K's injuries as non-accidental, did so less than 24 hours after she had been admitted to hospital. Every authority has fallen in behind that diagnosis since then. In the intervening years, the little girl was put into four different foster homes, and Oranga Tamariki would not allow her father – who has no convictions – to regain custody of his child, despite his repeated requests. On the day Zita was released from prison after serving almost her entire sentence, Oranga Tamariki secured a court order to keep Baby K in New Zealand under the care of the state. Zita and Ravi leave court. Photo: Supplied On top of this, Zita faced imminent deportation back to India, and because Ravi's visa was tied to his wife's, he too faced deportation – which would, in essence, orphan their daughter. Over the past year and a half, Melanie Reid and her team have been conducting extensive inquiries into this complex case for Fractured. In the course of that investigation, Reid secured Baby K's high-resolution 3D CT scans, x-rays, birth records and fetal heart monitoring tracings, and engaged four top-end international medical specialists to review them. 'International medical experts cost tens of thousands of dollars so there were a lot of hurdles for us to overcome. But we wanted the top people in their fields with no agendas, who were not subject to circular reasoning or institutional bias,' said Reid. The Fractured investigation approached experts in genetics, neurosurgery, obstetrics and neuropathology from Canada, Norway, the Netherlands and the United States. 'We of course did not know when we got the medical files reviewed if they would come back for or against the mother at the centre of this case.' They each wrote a formal report and provided evidence that the likely causes of Baby K's injuries were related to her labour and delivery, and her severely low levels of vitamin D. This new evidence casts serious doubt over Zita's conviction. The CCRC Along the way, Reid and her team did something no journalist has done before in NZ – they teamed up with de Bres and made a submission on behalf of the mother to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which included the evidence from the international experts. Set up in 2020, the commission reviews cases in which there is a potential miscarriage of justice or unsafe conviction, and can refer them back to an appeal court. 'It is not usual for us as journalists to be making submissions to the CCRC, but in this case I felt like we had no choice,' says Reid. 'This mother had her baby uplifted at 10 weeks old and her child is now six. The removal of her child and her subsequent conviction is based on medical evidence that we can now prove is flawed. 'There is growing concern internationally among medical and legal experts about the misdiagnosis or the over-diagnosis of non-accidental injury, and New Zealand is no exception.' Since Fractured was published, Reid and her team have been approached by other families who have also been affected by this diagnosis, including a farming family from Central Otago, a father currently imprisoned in Auckland and another young family from the South Island. They will feature in the upcoming season 3 of Fractured. Good news at last A year after Zita's release from prison, and after much effort from de Bres, Oranga Tamariki began allowing Zita regular supervised access with her daughter. 'It is so amazing. She's so happy. I'm so happy when she's here. She say I'm the best mum,' Zita tells Reid with a smile. During this time, Zita had applied for refugee status with the Immigration Protection Tribunal, which turned it down, which she then appealed. While awaiting the outcome of the appeal, the ever-present threat of deportation meant all ground she was gaining with her daughter was going to collapse if she was sent back to India for good. On April 14, at the Family Court in Auckland, following years of ongoing appearances, the orders relating to Baby K were discharged. This means not only have the restrictions preventing her from leaving the country been lifted, but Baby K is officially no longer under the care of the state and custody has been handed back to her parents. More than six years after their daughter was uplifted by the state, Baby K is now back with Zita and Ravi. But that's not all. Just days before the mother was set to be removed from New Zealand, Associate Minister of Immigration Chris Penk intervened, cancelling her deportation order and issuing her a 12-month work visa. 'I have decided to cancel Zita's deportation liability and grant her a special direction under section 17 of the Immigration Act 2009 for her convictions in relation to the injuries sustained by her daughter,' Penk wrote in his decision. 'This will allow her to remain in New Zealand while her application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission is assessed.' Penk wrote that he made his decision after carefully considering the supporting letters and documentation. (As always, it seems with this case, it comes with a snag – Immigration NZ has issued Ravi a new visa; however unlike his previous visas, it does not allow him to work.) In the last piece of good news, the Criminal Cases Review Commission emailed to say it had accepted Reid and de Bres' submission for review, which paves the way for a potential referral to an appeal court. For Zita and Ravi, simply being a family again is most important of all, expressed in an email Ravi sent to Reid and de Bres: 'Thanks you very much to all of you from the bottom of my heart,' wrote Ravi. 'If all of you were not in our life then perhaps this day will never come in our life. After all your hard work and efforts we got our daughter back. What seemed impossible to us, you all thought about it and saw it. Thanks you very much to all of you on behalf of our entire family.' Listen to both seasons of Fractured on our podcast channel DELVE. Since 2023, DELVE has produced more than 90 episodes across four award-winning investigative podcast series. With more than 5.5 million downloads, DELVE sits in the top 0.1 percent most downloaded podcasts in the world. Fractured has also been nominated for Best News and Current Affairs Podcast at the 2025 NZ Radio and Podcast Awards.
CBC
04-05-2025
- General
- CBC
When Canada was a place of refuge for European royals
Hello, royal watchers. This is your regular dose of royal news and analysis. Reading this online? Sign up here to get this delivered to your inbox. Every few years, Princess Margriet of the Netherlands has taken part in commemorations in Canada of the role it played in the Netherlands' liberation during the Second World War. Margriet intended to be back in Canada later this month. While she has had to cancel her visit for medical reasons, her devotion to those commemorations remains strong. "Princess Margriet has always emphasised the decisive role that Canada and the Canadians played in restoring her country's freedom," the Royal House of the Netherlands said on its website this week. "Partly for this reason, the couple has taken part almost every five years in commemorations and celebrations in Canada." Margriet has her own deeply personal connection to Canada — she was born in 1943 in Ottawa Civic Hospital. A federal proclamation declared the maternity ward extraterritorial, ensuring the new princess would only be a Dutch — and not also a Canadian — citizen. "At the outset of the Second World War, when Nazi Germany occupied the Netherlands, Canada extended a generous hospitality to my mother and sisters, offering a safe haven in Ottawa," Princess Margriet said in a video message to the Ottawa Hospital last year. "Naturally, I have always felt a very strong connection to the country and city of my birth." After the family returned to the Netherlands, Margriet's mother, Queen Juliana, and the Dutch government sent 100,000 tulip bulbs to Canada as thanks for both the refuge offered to them and the role of Canadians in the country's liberation in 1945 (something that is also being commemorated over the next few days in the Netherlands). "We in the Netherlands will always be conscious of the sacrifices made by so many young Canadians for our sake, for our liberty, which is why my country has also added to the annual tradition of sending tulip bulbs," Margriet said in her video message. Margriet and her family weren't the only European royals who found refuge in Canada in the 1940s. "There have never been so many members of European royal houses in Canada at the same time as there was during the Second World War," Toronto-based royal author and historian Carolyn Harris said in an interview. French-speaking royalty came to Quebec, including Zita of Bourbon-Parma, the former empress of Austria, and her children, who had settled in Belgium but fled from there to Canada after the German invasion of that country. Zita's sister-in-law, Princess Charlotte of Luxembourg, also came to Quebec during the war with her six children. "For French-speaking royalty, there was a particular appeal to living in Quebec where there would be Catholic schools in French and there would be French-speaking post-secondary institutions," said Harris. The current crown prince of Luxembourg, Guillaume, referenced that refuge during a trade visit to Toronto three years ago. "I have personally a deep respect and a sincere gratitude towards the Canadian culture of welcome, not the least because it offered shelter to my family during the darkest hours of our contemporary history," he said. The refuge that Canada offered to European royals was a result of several factors. One was having royalty at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. The Earl of Athlone, an uncle of King George VI, served as governor general from 1940 to 1946. His wife, Princess Alice, the Countess of Athlone, was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria on her father's side. "On her mother's side, she was a first cousin of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands," said Harris. The mothers of Queen Wilhelmina and Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, were sisters, added Harris, "so they were quite close and so the Athlones personally seemed to have co-ordinated there being refuge and housing for members of these various royal families." The presence of European royals in Canada during the Second World War has led to warm and lasting relations between their countries and Canada. "Princess Margriet, although she only has Dutch citizenship … became a living link between Canada and the Netherlands. She has visited Canada for numerous tulip festivals in Ottawa, for exhibitions of Dutch Golden Age art at Canadian art galleries such as the AGO, when KLM Direct flights were introduced from Toronto," said Harris. "Between Luxembourg and Quebec, there are many close economic and cultural links and cultural exchanges that have taken place." Such relationships could have further implications now, given the geopolitics of the world. WATCH | Following the path of Canadian soldiers in the Netherlands: Students to retrace path of Canadian soldiers who helped liberate the Netherlands 3 days ago Duration 2:02 Canadian teachers are taking students to the Netherlands to walk the same ground as soldiers from their hometowns who helped liberate the country from German occupation in 1945 — making history feel real for a generation born decades after the war. "We see the importance of good will and warm relations between different countries at a time when the United States is undermining its own trade relationships with different countries around the world," said Harris. "So Canada certainly has the potential to build on these warm relationships with Luxembourg, the Netherlands … and other countries across Europe, to forge new trade and cultural connections at a time when Canada is looking to diversify its range of trade partners during a time of growing tensions with the United States." King Charles will come to Canada, deliver throne speech One of our friends in CBC's politics bureau, Michael Woods, had this story from Ottawa on Friday, with files from Rosemary Barton and J.P. Tasker. King Charles will travel to Canada later this month and deliver the speech from the throne on May 27. "This historic honour matches the weight of our times," Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday as he announced the news. He added that Queen Camilla would join the visit. Gov. Gen. Mary Simon issued a statement confirming the royal visit on May 26 and 27. "Whit [Fraser, Simon's husband] and I will be delighted to welcome Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla to Canada. Our Canadian identity is deeply rooted in our constitution and this visit highlights the enduring relationship between Canada and the Crown," she said. "Now, more than ever, we need to come together to ensure a future that builds on our shared global values of democracy, equality and peace." Every new session of Parliament is opened by a throne speech, a document that lays out the government's expected direction and goals, and how it plans to achieve them. WATCH | Putting on emphasis on Canada's sovereignty: Carney says King Charles opening Parliament 'underscores' Canada's sovereignty 2 days ago Duration 2:31 When Charles and Carney met at Buckingham Palace before the election, the prime minister asked the King about the possibility of him coming to Canada to deliver the throne speech to open the next Parliament, CBC News has learned. That Charles would come to Canada to deliver the speech from the throne "sends a clear message regarding his dedication to the role of King of Canada," Toronto-based royal author and historian Carolyn Harris said via email. Much attention has focused in recent weeks on Charles's role as head of state of Canada, particularly in the face of repeated taunts from U.S. President Donald Trump about it becoming the 51st state. "It seems fairly likely that the current state of relations between Canada and the United States shaped the decision to not only have the visit so soon but also for it to involve the opening of Parliament," Justin Vovk, a royal historian and member of the advisory Board of the Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada, said via email. "Mark Carney ran his campaign on a largely anti-Trump platform and reiterated that Canada will always remain sovereign, independent and free. Having Charles assume his place at the centre of our parliamentary institutions is a clear signal of Canada's unique political and national identity compared to our neighbours to the south." Those who watch Charles closely saw an increase in signals and royal symbolism in support of Canada as it faced that repeated rhetoric. Charles also referenced his role as "King of Canada" during an address recently to the Italian parliament, a rare statement — particularly coming as it did in an international, non-Commonwealth setting. WATCH | Queen Elizabeth delivers the speech from the throne in 1957: Queen Elizabeth: 1957 Opening of Parliament 68 years ago Duration 10:30 The opening of Canada's new Parliament provides an "ideal opportunity" for a visit from Charles, who has not yet come to the country as monarch, said Harris. "President Trump's comments about Canada becoming the 51st state, however, have increased the political significance of King Charles undertaking official engagements as King of Canada." The King delivering the throne speech in Ottawa also follows historical precedent, she said. "Queen Elizabeth II opened Parliament during her first visit to Canada as a reigning monarch in 1957." The last time the speech was actually read by Canada's head of state was when Queen Elizabeth delivered it in 1977. Simon's statement said the royal visit's detailed itinerary will be published at a later date by the Department of Canadian Heritage. At two days, it will be a short visit, but that, too, has precedent. "Queen Elizabeth II's 1957 visit to Canada to open Parliament was also quite short," said Harris. Other factors and logistics likely played into the timing, she added. "The specific dates of the visit will have been organized quite quickly after the election, and royal schedules are set long in advance," said Harris. "There may be a longer Canadian royal tour scheduled in the future when there is more time for planning and preparation. King Charles III's cancer treatment also limits opportunities for extensive royal tours, as demonstrated by his visit to Australia and Samoa, which did not include New Zealand." It will be the King's 20th visit to Canada, and the Queen's fifth. Their last visit was in May 2022, when Charles was still the Prince of Wales. A chance encounter with the King and Queen Not long after King Charles spoke of his role as Canada's head of state while addressing the Italian parliament, three Canadian tourists had a serendipitous encounter with the monarch and his wife. Erika Taylor, Sarah Lynch and Amy Dunham were on holiday in Rome. The longtime friends from Calgary were taking in the calm around them in the Eternal City on April 9 when they noticed signs that something was about to happen close by. "We had been to the Pantheon in the morning, and then we went up to parliament and it was pretty much empty but … we noticed the British flag was flying next to the Italian flag," Taylor said. Chatting with journalists who were there gave the Canadians a sense of what was up, and where King Charles and Queen Camilla would be after he had spoken in the Italian parliament. "We knew where they were going to walk. And … we were talking and we said I bet if they see a Canadian flag, they'll stop, because they'll know we're friendly…. And so Amy's recording and I'm searching on my phone for a picture of the Canadian flag. I find one, get it up, hold it up," said Taylor. WATCH | An unexpected royal encounter: Seeing the King and Queen in Rome 2 days ago Duration 0:12 Charles and Camilla did indeed pass their way, and the Canadians shook their hands and took photos and video of their fleeting royal encounter. "They just seemed very at ease and they just seemed very pleasant, to be honest," said Lynch. "It was very thrilling." It was also a little surreal. "We were all just kind of sitting there: 'Did we just meet the King and Queen of England? What just happened? We're in Italy.' And then they came strolling back and we got to see then again," said Taylor. The friends hadn't ever really talked among themselves about the royals, but found themselves united in their appreciation of the unexpected opportunity to see Charles and Camilla so closely. Taylor sees Charles as one of the "most informed, educated people on the planet, especially when it comes to diplomacy and history," and one who wants to speak out for things he is passionate about, such as the environment. But he's also someone who is perhaps "a little bit constrained by his role" in sharing his opinions. The chance encounter also offered the Calgary friends a reminder of the virtue of allowing yourself — particularly when you travel — to be open to whatever new experience might come your way. "I think really in this day and age, when we're so over-scheduled and so busy, these amazing things happen when you just live in the moment, really, and you take advantage of these opportunities," said Lynch. "This trip was very impromptu. We didn't have any scheduled plans and then we just ended up with this really amazing encounter…. It was a real thrill to see them in person. I think they really came across very genuine, very pleasant." Picture this — more birthdays and an anniversary Over one 10-day period in the middle of spring each year, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children have three family occasions to celebrate: two birthdays and a wedding anniversary. Pictures were released in recent days to mark Prince Louis's seventh birthday, William and Catherine's 14th anniversary and Princess Charlotte's 10th birthday. The photo of a gap-toothed Louis, who turned seven on April 23, also came with a behind-the-scenes video. "That's interesting to see, because when Catherine, the Princess of Wales, was undergoing cancer treatment, there was such controversy about that photograph that was released at Mother's Day that had been digitally altered," said Harris. "By showing the behind-the-scenes for the photo shoot of Prince Louis's birthday, it reinforces the authenticity of that moment, that the public is getting to see where the images come from." William and Catherine were in Scotland as they marked their 14th wedding anniversary. They spent time on the western isles of Mull and Iona over a two-day visit focusing on rural island communities. A shot of them looking out over the water from Mull was posted on social media on their anniversary on Tuesday. In that photo, Harris saw how the personal and political can sometimes be combined for royalty. "One of the major goals of King Charles III's reign has been to keep the United Kingdom united, as that's been one of the challenges post-Brexit," she said, noting among other things that Scotland has had an independence referendum in recent years. But Scotland also has personal meaning for William and Catherine — they met at university in Scotland, and reportedly visited Mull as students. "Some of these personal decisions — where to travel for their wedding anniversary for William … very much intersect with … wider questions of the Royal Family's relationship with the entire United Kingdom," Harris said. A photo taken by Catherine of Charlotte during a visit to Cumbria, in northwestern England, earlier this year was posted Friday to mark her 10th birthday. Royally quotable "Each diagnosis, each new case, will be a daunting and at times frightening experience for those individuals and their loved ones. But as one among those statistics myself, I can vouch for the fact that it can also be an experience that brings into sharp focus the very best of humanity. " — King Charles, in a heartfelt message in recognition of community-based cancer support groups. Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in early 2024 and continues to undergo treatment. Royal reads Prince Harry told the BBC it was "impossible for me to take my family back to the U.K. safely" after he lost his legal challenge to the British government on Friday changing his security arrangements after he stepped down from royal duties. [CBC] Virginia Guiffre, the woman who accused Prince Andrew and other influential men of sexually exploiting her as a teenager trafficked by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, has died. She was 41. [CBC] Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are calling for stronger protections for children from the dangers of social media, saying "enough is not being done." [BBC]
