'It’s all about symbolism': The tight-lipped Royal Family is sending a message with its trip to Canada

OTTAWA — As an institution that has for centuries employed symbolism with surgical precision, the timing of the King’s visit to Canada may be more revealing than the itinerary itself.

It’s considered a core principle of the British constitutional monarchy that the ceremonial head of state of the United Kingdom, Canada and other Commonwealth countries not comment on or become directly involved in politics. It’s also a key component in trying to maintain the public’s trust.

So symbols often substitute in the Royal Family’s world where words are absent and could be considered to be on the wrong side of a delicate balancing act. When reliable Commonwealth loyalist Canada came under economic and political attack in recent months from U.S. President Donald Trump, for example, King Charles III stayed quiet.

Instead, he and Queen Camilla sent symbolic support across the Atlantic, planting a red maple tree at Buckingham Palace.

But the King and Queen are sending a clear message in support of Canadian sovereignty, said Thomas Morin-Cabana, the national chairman of The Crown Society of Canada. Earlier this year, Trump had made repeated references to annexing Canada and often called former prime minister Justin Trudeau the governor of the 51st American state.

“It’s all about symbolism,” said Morin-Cabana.

Prime Minister Mark Carney indicated as much when earlier this month he announced the monarch’s visit, with a clear nod to the Trump threats.

“This is an historic honour that matches the weight of our time,” he told reporters during his first press conference after the election.

The Royal couple’s two-day visit to Canada this week is their first since Charles assumed the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022. The visit will also mark the first time that a monarch has read the speech from the throne in the Canadian Parliament, instead of the Governor General, since 1977.

The speech, which normally lays out the government’s broad goals, will be delivered at a delicate time in Canada. The country faces a housing crisis and a teetering medical system, while the economy is threatened by ballooning government debt, sluggish growth and ongoing tariff threats from the south. Carney has said that Canadians shouldn’t expect things with the U.S. to return to how they used to be any time soon.

André Lecours, a political science professor at the University of Ottawa, said the timing of the visit is good for Canada because it sends a message of unity following the Trump threats.

“If you mess with us, you’re almost messing with the Crown.”

But the Crown is also conscious of Britain’s national interests too. The U.K., like most countries, has also been involved in tariff disputes with Trump and reached a deal of sorts with the U.S. earlier this month. When British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Trump in Washington, he quite deliberately produced a written invitation from King Charles to Trump, a known Royal admirer, for a state visit at Buckingham Palace.

“This is very special. This is unprecedented,” Starmer flattered Trump, as he placed a hand on the U.S. president’s right shoulder. “I think that symbolizes the strength of the relationship between us.”

While the Crown’s approach to recent Canada-U.S. relations may be nuanced, Canadians also have mixed views on the role of the monarch in a modern democracy and of the monarch himself.

According to a poll conducted earlier this month, Canadians’ opinions are evenly split on the monarchy and King Charles.

The poll, conducted May 16-18 by Montreal-based Léger for the Association for Canadian Studies, found that 50 per cent of Canadians have a “very positive” or “somewhat positive” view of the monarchy. Atlantic Canadians (57 per cent) expressed the most positive view, while Quebecers (37 per cent) were the least positive.

The poll surveyed 1,537 Canadians and has a margin of error of 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

The poll found that Canadians’ views of King Charles were similarly divided, with 48 per cent of respondents expressing an either “very” or “somewhat positive” view, and 52 per cent saying that they had a negative view. The monarch’s highest ratings were in Manitoba-Saskatchewan (57 per cent), the poll found, and the lowest in Quebec (39 per cent).

Jack Jedwab, the association’s president and chief executive officer, said the numbers show that Canadians are sharply split in their views of the monarchy and King Charles. “There’s no consensus.”

National Post

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