King Charles says Canada faces a “critical moment” in Ottawa speech, amid threats of Trump tariffs, annexation

King Charles III spoke of Canada’s “critical moment” on Tuesday, addressing the Canadian Parliament in a rare gesture as Canada seized on President Trump’s tariffs and annexation threat.

Charles nodded to the Canadian national anthem and said, “The real North is indeed powerful and free.”

The British monarch, formally serving as the head of state of Canada, arrived in Ottawa’s capital on Monday as part of a two-day visit that was widely seen as a counterattack against Mr Trump’s call to make Canada the 51st state.

Why did King Charles speak to the Canadian Parliament?

The king delivered a “speak for the throne” which marked the beginning of a new parliamentary session after the centre-left Liberal Party won Last month's federal election. A speech written by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's office, rather than the king, outlines the agenda and priorities of the new government, while acknowledging political and economic dynamics on the world stage that affects the country.

In other previous sections of Canada and the British Empire, marking the beginning of parliament in the form of speech is a long tradition, but it is very unusual for the King himself to give a speech. Instead, the king's representative in Canada usually speaks on his behalf. The last time the monarch gave a speech in person was in 1977, when Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, went to the Canadian capital to attend the event.

In his speech, the king quoted his mother's visit to Canada in 1957 to open parliament, saying the visit was “a fresh, painful memory of World War II” and that as the Cold War intensified, “freedom and democracy were threatened.” He added that Canada is “becoming a growing economic force, a force for peace in the world”, comparing the moment with the current challenges.

“Today, Canada is facing another critical moment,” Charles said, adding: “Democracy, diversity, rule of law, self-determination and freedom are values ​​that Canadians value, values ​​that governments are determined to protect.”

Is King Charles' visit to Ottawa related to Trump?

Some observers of Canadian politics said before the visit, especially when Trump repeatedly pondered the U.S. annexation of Canada, sparking strong opposition.

Jared Wesley, a political science professor at the University of Alberta, said the royal visit could be “a king who takes Canada's sovereignty seriously.”

“The clear threat to Canada's sovereignty may have attracted the attention of the King and his advisers,” Wesley told CBS News.

Wesley said this visit can also participate in domestic politics. Mr. Trump’s remarks “inciting patriotism in some strange corners of Canada” and the country’s status as a constitutional monarchy, where the king remains technically the main difference between Canada and its southern neighbors. Even if most Canadians are indifferent to the monarchy, Royals' visits are always interesting.

“This is considered a pride and distinction between Canada and the United States,” Wesley said.

Elizabeth McCallion, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto, said the visit could be a “reminder that we are an independent country” and that “Canadians gather together.”

Earlier this month, Carney told Sky News that the invitation to Charles was “not accidental.” In a statement welcoming Charles on Monday, the Prime Minister did not mention Mr. Trump, but suggested Canada’s “unique identity” and “historic relationships that only exacerbate the crisis”.

Charles also has long-term relations with Canada, visiting the country more than a dozen times before ascending the throne. McAllien said many Canadians are looking for signs of Charles’ support in a difficult relationship with the United States and noting symbolic gestures, such as the royal family’s decision to plant maple trees at Buckingham Palace earlier this year.

McAllien said some Canadians also believe Mr. Trump's long-term obsession with the British royal family could benefit the country.

McAllien told CBS News: “There is hope that when he visits, Trump will pay attention to and respect the fact that Canada has a connection to the British monarchy.”

Charles is the national head of Canada and the UK as Britain seeks to establish stronger trade relations with the Trump administration, putting him in an abnormal state. Earlier this month, Carney criticized the British government for inviting Mr. Trump for a state visit earlier this year, proposing the king's invitation to Trump. The Canadian leader told Sky News that most Canadians were “not impressed”.

What did King Charles say in his speech about the United States and Trump?

In his speech, the King hints at the relationship between Canada and the United States as he talks about changes in the global trading system. Opening up global trade, while “imperfect,” Charles said, “helps provide Canadians with decades of prosperity.”

“Many Canadians are anxious and worried that the world around them has changed dramatically,” Charles said. “However, this moment is also an incredible opportunity – an opportunity to renew. It is an opportunity to think about big and bigger. The opportunity for Canada's economic transformation since World War II is an opportunity.”

The king stressed that “confident Canada” could “grab this opportunity because they recognize that all Canadians can give themselves far more than any foreign power on any African continent.” He added that by being loyal to Canadian values, Canada could build new alliances and a new economy that serves all Canadians.

The King mentioned only Mr. Trump, who said the Canadian Prime Minister and the U.S. President “have begun to define a new economic and security relationship,” which he said was “rooted in mutual respect and built on a common good to bring transformational benefits to the two sovereign states.”

What does Trump comment on Canada – How is Carney's response?

Trump has repeatedly been involved in Canada in recent months, shocking Canadian politics.

The jab of the 51st state is sometimes in a sneer: Mr. Trump mentioned Carney's predecessor, who resigned from the prime minister before this year's new election – as “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Canadian Power.” In other cases, Mr. Trump will absorb Canada as a neat way to address the trade deficits of the northern U.S. neighbors.

But Trudeau It is reported According to public broadcaster CBC, at a private meeting, he believed that business and labor leaders said at a private meeting that he believed taking over Canada was a way to gain the country's mineral wealth. According to McAlleon, many Canadian voters hold the same view.

“I think maybe the first time or the second time, people were offended, but think he was kidding. At this point, of course no Canadian thinks he was kidding,” McAllien said. “Most Canadians see it as a serious threat.”

When asked if he would take over Canada with the army, Mr. Trump Say earlier this month“I can't see it.” But meet with Carney at the White House A few days laterthe idea of ​​annexing Canada into a “good marriage” will bring “huge” benefits to Canada and call the border between the two countries “artificial.”

“It will never be sold,” Carney said at the Canadian conference.

Meanwhile, Mr. Trump has Huge tariffs were imposed Among many Canadian goods, Canada has led to a retaliatory tax attack on the United States.

Last month's Canadian election was leading Mr Trump’s tariffs and annexation comments, a race that is widely regarded as a referendum that Canadians trust more in dealing with the Trump administration.

Carney's Liberal Party (which has held power for nearly a decade) has lagged behind conservatives before, but its fate rebounded after Mr. Trump's poke in Canada. Carney said in a victory speech that the country's “old relationship with the United States has ended” and argued that Mr. Trump was “trying to break us so that the United States can have us”.

“Our national identity is sometimes confused because it consists of many different cultures,” McCauern told CBS News. “Generally, Canadians mostly express their national identity is not American.”