OTTAWA — King Charles and Queen Camilla started the second day of their Canadian visit this morning by travelling in Canada's state landau past crowds of admirers in front of Parliament Hill.
The King wore a dark blue striped suit with the Order of Canada around his neck and his customary medal array. Next to him, the Queen was wearing a navy blue dress and hat.
They were joined by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and her husband Whit Fraser.
The landau was escorted down Wellington Street in Ottawa by mounted RCMP officers.
The King and Queen arrived shortly after 10 a.m. at the Senate building, where the King received full military honours and a 100-person honour guard from the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment.
The ceremony included an inspection of the guard and band and a 21-gun salute.
King Charles then entered the Senate building, where he will shortly deliver the speech from the throne.
Royal watchers gathered along the parade route shared mixed emotions ahead of the procession Tuesday.
Beth MacDonald, a royalist who attended King Charles' coronation two years ago, said she makes a point of attending every royal event she can. This one has added significance, she said, because it's happening more than a year after the King announced his cancer diagnosis.
“This is going to be, I’ll almost say, bittersweet, because I know it’s probably his last visit over here," she said.
King Charles made at least 18 official visits to Canada as the Prince of Wales. This is his first trip to Canada since his coronation.
The King is the first reigning British monarch to read the speech from the throne since his mother Queen Elizabeth II delivered the speech in 1977.
David Greenberg, who was among the crowds lining the parade route, also attended the parade for the previous monarch's throne speech. He said he was watching history happen.
“It doesn’t happen very often. It may not happen again," he said.
The royal visit is happening at a critical moment, as U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly calls for Canada's annexation and attempts to overturn the rules of global trade with tariffs.
“I think in the long run it’ll do good for Canadians to remember we’re Canadians, and not the 51st state," MacDonald said. "Maybe this visit and him doing the throne speech will remind Canadians of that.”
Elizabeth Armstrong, another of the royal watchers in the crowd Tuesday morning, called it a "strong but quiet statement from His Majesty."
The royal couple arrived in Ottawa Monday afternoon. They spent time at a local farmers market and held private audiences with Prime Minister Mark Carney and Gov. Gen. Simon.
The King will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier later Tuesday.
— with files from Nick Murray
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2025.
Craig Lord, The Canadian Press
