King to visit Canada for first time as head of state in ‘impactful’ trip | World News

The King is preparing for a two-day visit to Canada – his first as the country’s head of state.

The centrepiece will be on Tuesday when he will become only the second monarch, after his mother Queen Elizabeth II, to attend the state opening of parliament where he will set out the government’s legislative agenda in a speech.

The 76-year-old will be accompanied by his wife the Queen during the short visit to the Commonwealth nation, which they hope will be “impactful”, according to Buckingham Palace.

On Monday, the King, who is still undergoing treatment for an undisclosed cancer, is due to meet newly-elected prime minister and ex-Bank of England governor Mark Carney.

There will also be a short ceremony to swear in the Queen as a member of the Canadian Privy Council.

Earlier this month, Mr Carney told Sky News presenter Samantha Washington that Canadians “weren’t impressed” by the decision of the UK government to offer Donald Trump an unprecedented second state visit to the UK.

Sir Keir Starmer handed the invitation to the US president during a visit to the Oval Office.

Mr Carney said that the invitation “cut across clear messages” that the Canadian government was trying to send to the White House in response to their threats against Canada’s sovereignty, including Mr Trump’s idea for it to be America’s 51st state.

The Canadian prime minister invited the King to open the country’s parliament in a “clear message of sovereignty” and said it was “not coincidental”.

“All issues around Canada’s sovereignty have been accentuated by the president. So no, it’s not coincidental, but it is also a reaffirming moment for Canadians,” Mr Carney said.

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‘A momentous occasion’

The tour begins on Monday with the royal couple celebrating the country’s cultural heritage and diversity at a Lansdowne Park community event in the capital Ottawa.

The late queen was the first sovereign to deliver the speech at the state opening of the Canadian parliament in October 1957, her first visit to the country as head of state.

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Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s minister of identity and culture, said: “His Majesty’s delivery of the Speech from the Throne to open the 45th Parliament is a momentous occasion, one that brings Canadians together in celebration of our rich history, our democracy, and the institutions that serve us all.

“This visit offers an opportunity to showcase the special relationship between Canada and the Crown, while also highlighting the strength, diversity, and unity that define us on the world stage.”